Circular Economy News — Week 34

Summary about last week (35)

1. ZSVR Introduces 2024 Recycling Standards: Enhanced Sorting and Simplified Compliance for Packaging from 2025 📦♻️
2. Germany’s HMV Slag Recycling Drops to Under 75% in 2022: Regulatory Hurdles and Market Decline 📉♻️
3. Coca-Cola Stalls at 14% Reusable Packaging in 2023, Falling Behind on 2030 Goal 🚫🍶
4. Lego Uses 30% Certified Sustainable Plastic in 2024, Moving Closer to 2032 Goal 🌱🧱
5. IKEA’s Secondhand Platform Pilot Launches with 450 Items in Madrid on Day One 🛋️💻
6. Miele Expands Circular Economy with Vooper Vacuum and Refurbished Electronics 🌍🔄
7. DM’s New Tubes Save 86 Tons of Plastic Annually by Switching to Recycled HDPE 🌍🧴

📫 newsletter signup for early & regular updates 👉 click-me

1. ZSVR Introduces 2024 Recycling Standards: Improved Infrastructure Boosts Recycling of Plastics and Aluminum, Simplifies Compliance for Packaging from 2025 📦♻️

The Central Packaging Register Office (ZSVR) has introduced the 2024 minimum standards for recycling-compatible packaging, emphasizing significant improvements in recycling capabilities, particularly for plastics and aluminum. The new standards, which will be mandatory for all packaging from 2025, aim to streamline compliance and enhance environmental sustainability.

• Enhanced Recycling Capacities: Significant progress has been made, particularly in the recycling of plastics and aluminum, leading to the relaxation of previously mandatory proof requirements for these materials.

• Flexible PE Films Included: New advancements allow sorting plants to effectively sort small PE films, removing size restrictions for high-quality recycling.

• Component-Specific Evaluation: The standard now requires that separate packaging components be individually evaluated, allowing for more precise assessments of recycling potential.

• Clearer Guidelines: The updated standard provides clearer instructions on necessary compliance documentation, helping companies align with upcoming European regulations.

This updated standard positions Germany as a leader in recycling innovation, potentially serving as a model for broader European regulations.

🔗 source

2. Germany’s HMV Slag Recycling Rate Plummets Below 75% in 2022: Urgent Need for Regulatory Action to Reverse Trend 📉♻️

Germany’s recycling rate for incineration slag from household waste treatment dropped below 75% in 2022, marking a significant decline from over 80% in 2020. The decrease underscores the pressing challenges faced by the recycling industry, driven by regulatory and market constraints.

• Sharp Decline: The recycling rate for HMV slag fell to under 75% in 2022, a decrease from over 80% in 2020, highlighting a worrying trend.

• Stable Raw Slag Volumes: Despite this, raw slag volumes remained steady at 5.8 million tons, but the total metal recovery dropped by 4% compared to 2020.

• Increased Landfill Disposal: Disposal of slag in landfills increased by 7.9 percentage points, while high-value recovery in technical applications decreased by 1.8 percentage points.

• Industry Calls for Reform: Regulatory bodies and industry leaders are calling for comprehensive reforms to reverse this negative trend and enhance the reuse of valuable materials.

The continuing decline in recycling rates reflects an urgent need for regulatory intervention to ensure sustainable waste management practices.

🔗 source

3. Coca-Cola Under Fire for Stagnant Reusable Packaging: Only 14% in 2023, Far Behind 2030 Goal 🚫🍶

Coca-Cola has been criticized for its lack of progress in increasing the use of reusable packaging, with its global share remaining stuck at 14% in 2023, well below the company’s target of 25% by 2030. Environmental groups are demanding immediate action and clearer plans to address this shortfall.

• Stalled Progress: Coca-Cola’s reusable packaging share has stagnated at 14% in 2023, down from 16% in 2020, raising concerns about meeting future goals.

• Olympics Controversy: During the 2024 Paris Olympics, operational decisions led to the extensive use of single-use plastics, despite a push for reusable containers.

• Potential Environmental Impact: Reaching the 25% goal by 2030 could prevent the production of over 100 billion single-use plastic bottles, significantly reducing ocean pollution.

• Lagging Behind Peers: Major bottlers, including Coca-Cola FEMSA, saw declines in their reusable packaging percentages, with some even lowering their targets.

Coca-Cola’s stagnant progress in reusable packaging raises serious questions about the company’s environmental commitments and long-term sustainability strategy.

🔗 source

4. Lego Boosts Use of Certified Sustainable Plastics: 30% of All Plastics Now Renewable or Recycled in 2024 🌱🧱

Lego is making significant strides in sustainability, with 30% of the plastic used in its products in 2024 now coming from renewable or recycled sources. This marks a major step towards the company’s goal of producing all bricks from sustainable materials by 2032.

• Increased Sustainable Plastic Use: In the first half of 2024, 30% of Lego’s plastic was certified as renewable or recycled, a significant increase from 18% in 2023.

• High Cost of Commitment: Lego is investing heavily, paying up to 70% more for certified renewable materials to encourage suppliers and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

• Extensive Testing: Lego has tested over 600 materials in its quest to find a suitable alternative to fossil-based plastics, with plans to invest €1.1 billion in sustainability by 2025.

• Strong Financial Performance: Despite the higher costs, Lego’s operating profit rose by 26% to 8.1 billion DKK (€1.09 billion) in the first half of 2024.

Lego’s significant investments in sustainable materials underscore its commitment to reducing environmental impact while maintaining strong financial performance.

🔗 source

5. IKEA Launches Online Secondhand Platform: 450 Items Listed on First Day in Madrid as Market Test Begins 🛋️💻

IKEA has launched “IKEA Preowned,” an online platform for secondhand furniture, in Madrid and Oslo. This pilot initiative allows customers to buy and sell used IKEA products directly, with over 450 items listed on the first day in Madrid alone.

• New Secondhand Platform: The pilot for “IKEA Preowned” launched in Madrid and Oslo, allowing customers to list and purchase over 450 items on the first day.

• Significant Growth in Buyback Services: In 2023, IKEA’s “Buyback & Resell Service” saw 211,000 customers return 430,000 items, double the number from 2022.

• Large Market Potential: The global secondhand furniture market is rapidly growing, with IKEA products making up 10% of this market.

• Circular Economy Goals: IKEA aims to become fully circular by 2030, with 56% of its products currently made from renewable materials and 17% from recycled content.

IKEA’s digital expansion into the secondhand market is a strategic move that aligns with its ambitious sustainability goals and taps into a growing market trend.

🔗 source

6. Miele Launches Vooper Vacuum and Expands Refurbished Electronics: Circular Economy Initiatives Reduce E-Waste by 82% 🌍🔄

Miele is intensifying its commitment to the circular economy with the launch of the Vooper, a fully modular vacuum cleaner, and the expansion of its refurbished electronics program, which aims to significantly reduce electronic waste.

• New Modular Vacuum: Miele introduced the Vooper, a modular vacuum made from recyclable materials, showcasing the company’s commitment to sustainable design.

• Refurbished Electronics Expansion: Miele’s initiative to use refurbished electronics for repairs is now available in five EU countries, offering parts at 30% lower cost while maintaining high quality.

• Combatting E-Waste: The global production of e-waste reached 62 million tons in 2022, an 82% increase since 2010, highlighting the importance of Miele’s efforts.

• Rising Demand: In Germany alone, over 130 refurbished components were sold shortly after the initiative’s launch, reflecting growing consumer interest

7. DM’s New Packaging Initiative Saves 86 Tons of Virgin Plastic Annually: Major Shift to Recycling-HDPE in Balea Tubes 🌍🧴

DM, Germany’s leading drugstore chain, is rolling out a new packaging design for its Balea, Babylove, and Alverde brands, which will save 86 tons of virgin plastic annually by incorporating recycled HDPE from UK supplier Biffa.

• Significant Plastic Savings: The new packaging for Balea products will reduce virgin plastic use by 86 tons annually, thanks to the integration of recycled materials.

• Recycled Content: Tubes for Alverde shaving gel now contain 70% recycled HDPE, with a 33% reduction in plastic per tube, saving 1.2 tons of plastic yearly.

• Sustainability Targets: DM aims to have 50% recycled plastic in its packaging by 2025, with a focus on monomaterial packaging to simplify recycling.

• Material Innovations: The new packaging includes a 23% lighter tube cap, which contributes to an annual saving of 16 tons of plastic.

DM’s innovative packaging strategy demonstrates a strong commitment to reducing plastic waste and advancing sustainability in the personal care industry.

more articles:

1. Recycling Realities and Greenwashing Gimmicks: Unveiling the Multi-faceted Nature of Recyclability
2. Navigating CSR Reporting in the EU
3. Waste is not turning into Value
4. Understanding the European Supply Chain Act: A New Era of Corporate Responsibility
5. The Future of the Plastic Industry: Navigating Challenges and Seizing Opportunities

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

David Mattersdorfer
I would call myself a person who is interested in entrepreneurship, sustainability, knowledge-sharing and probably a few other things. I summed up my “big 5 for life” (very much recommend the book, if you do not know it) on my website (👇). After setting up some start-ups in the area of circular economy, combined with continuous curiosity, I decided to share some learnings, thoughts and questions here regularly. I would be happy if you let me know, what you think about them. Cheers!

click for
👉 WEBSITE
👉 LINKEDIN
👉 NEWSLETTER