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Biodegradable and compostable plastics — challenges and opportunities
What is the difference between compostable and biodegradable? What happens to biodegradable and compostable plastics when they are littered? Can citizens compost such products in their own gardens? ... Can such plastics be recycled? This briefing aims to answer these questions. ...
27 Aug 2020
Topics: Waste and recycling
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Plastics
Plastics play an essential role in modern society. ... Reducing such impacts while retaining plastics’ usefulness requires a shift towards a more circular and sustainable plastics system. ...
18 Apr 2024
Topics:
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ETC CE Report 2024/11 Plastics and biodiversity - Impacts of plastics on biodiversity and ecosystems
ETC CE Report 2024/11 Plastics and biodiversity - Impacts of plastics on biodiversity and ecosystems 19 Dec 2024 Ive Vanderreydt, Pieter Willot, Jens Günther, Elvira Borgman, Anna Tenhunen-Lunkka, Tobias ... It highlights the pervasive threat plastics pose throughout their lifecycle—from resource extraction through production, use, and waste management—and emphasises the urgent need for a shift toward circular ... and biodiversity-friendly practices in plastics management to mitigate these adverse impacts. ...
19 Dec 2024
Topics: Various other issues
Competitiveness of secondary materials
In 2023, the average price of scrap polyethylene plastics in the EU was €330 per tonne, while the average price of virgin polyethylene plastics was €1,444 per tonne. ...
7 Jan 2025
Topics:
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The role of plastics in Europe’s circular economy
Reducing such impacts demands moving towards a circular and sustainable plastics system. ... This briefing covers plastics production and consumption in Europe, the impacts on the environment and climate change, and how we can shift to a circular economy for plastics. ... Work from the Circularity Metrics Lab on plastics (EEA, 2024a) and a report on the Circularity Metrics Lab for Plastics from the European Topic Centre on Circular Economy and Resource Use inform this briefing ...
18 Jun 2024
Topics: Plastics, Circular economy
Plastics
Plastics are everywhere — from food packaging to healthcare, construction materials, furniture and textiles. They are, unfortunately, also bad for the environment. ...
11 Jan 2023
Topics: Plastics
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Better awareness of biodegradable, compostable plastics disposal would help tackle Europe’s plastics problem
Biodegradable, compostable and bio-based plastic products like shopping bags, packaging or drinking cups are being increasingly promoted as greener solution than traditional plastic products for consumers ... A European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing released today says clearer labelling and better public awareness will improve the correct disposal of these plastics so that they don’t end up doing more harm ...
27 Aug 2020
Topics: Waste and recycling, Policy instruments
Single-use plastics
Reporting under the Single-use plastics Directive ...
8 Dec 2023
Topics: Various other issues
Global bio-based plastics production capacity
Total global production capacities of biobased plastics reached 2.2 Mt in 2022 which is less than 1 % of global plastics production. ...
18 Apr 2024
Topics:
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ETC CE Report 2024/6 Measuring Europe's plastics circularity - through the lenses of the EEA Circularity Metrics Lab
ETC CE Report 2024/6 Measuring Europe's plastics circularity - through the lenses of the EEA Circularity Metrics Lab 18 Jun 2024 Malin Castell Rudenhausen, Anna Tenhunen-Lunkka, Alesso d'Amato, Alexandra ... The unsustainable production, consumption, and end-of-life management of plastics lead to significant environmental and climate impacts. ... However, evidence concerning the circular economy of plastics remains fragmented or inadequately supported by data. This report seeks to address these knowledge gaps by developing and ...
18 Jun 2024
Topics: Various other issues