The bioeconomy promotes the enhanced use of organic waste and the recycling of biological resources.
The linear economic model of ‘take-make-dispose’ has proven to be unsustainable. The new circular economy approach aims:
- to maintain the value of materials for as long as possible;
- to minimise resource use and
- to reduce generation of waste.
In 2015 the first action plan for the circular economy was adopted.
In 2017 the communication ‘The role of waste-to-energy in the circular economy’ was published.
The 2018 Circular Economy Package includes:
- the EU Strategy for Plastics in the Circular Economy;
- a Communication on options to address the interface between chemical, product and waste legislation and
- a Monitoring Framework on progress towards a circular economy at EU and national level.
The legislative framework on waste was revised in 2018. It includes the following targets:
- recycling 65% of municipal waste by 2035;
- recycling 70% of packaging waste by 2030;
- limiting the landfilling of municipal waste to 10% by 2035;
- separetly collecting bio-waste by end 2023 and
- taking specific measures to tackle food waste and marine litter to achieve EU commitments to the UN SDGs.
A new Circular Economy Action Plan was adopted in 2020.
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