October 2024:
A quick scan of recent waste, recycling and related environmental developments from around the globe...
Norwegian Parliament Plans to Enact New Food Waste Reduction Law in 2025
The Norwegian Ministry of Climate and the Environment said on October 11 that it will collaborate with food producers to propose draft legislation for consideration by the Stortinget (Norwegian Parliament) by next spring. The goal of the legislation will be to cut the country's food waste generation by half.
"Food that is left over should be donated to the greatest extent possible, and shops should sell food with a short shelf life at reduced prices, said the Minister of Agriculture and Food, whose agency will coordinate with the Ministry of Climate and the Environment on the draft legislation.
While Norway is not an EU Member State, the proposed legislation would be in harmony with plans being implemented in the EU.
California Prepares to Expand Network of Beverage Container Redemption Centers
On August 27, the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) announced that another 250 beverage container redemption centers soon will be opening in 30 counties across the state. The expansion is the result of grants CalRecycle provided for "37 projects to add dynamic recycling methods like reverse vending machines, mobile recycling, and bag-drop sites to counties around the state."
CalRecycle said that begining on January 1 of next year large beverage retailers in areas not served by a recycling center must either set up a system to redeem beverage container deposits in-store or create or join a non-profit cooperative on their own or with other retailers.
The CalRecycle announcement is posted at
https://calrecycle.ca.gov/2024/08/27/press-release-24-08-2/
European Commission Announces That Nearly 100,000 Products Have Been Certified for Use of the EU Eco-Label
Launched in 1992, the European Union's Eco-Label, which is also known as 'the flower,' has certified nearly 100,000 products as being safe for the environment and "10,000 more than this time last year," according to an October 10 European Commission announcement.
"This positive trend is expected to continue over the coming months thanks to the new rules established by the Directive on Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition, which will only allow sustainability labels certified by a third party or established by a public authority on the market," the Commission said.
The Commission noted that use of the Eco-Label extends beyond the EU. More than 2,600 products and 109 co-label licenses were awarded to companies from outside the European Economic Area (EEA).
Connecticut DEEP Announces $15 Million in Grants to Support Materials Management Infrastructure
Connecticut municipalities, councils of government, and regional waste authorities are eligible for apply for $15 million in grants for materials management infrastructure projects, according to a September announcement by the state's Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP).
The grants can be used to "develop small- to medium-scale waste management infrastructure either in their entirety or as a component to facilitate the development of larger projects. Eligible proposals will support waste reduction and/or diversion with the goal of improving diversion of municipal solid waste and regaining self-sufficiency in managing MSW disposal within Connecticut's borders".
"This is one of the largest investments the state has made to date in local and regional waste management infrastructure," said DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes. "DEEP is eager to put these dollars to work as municipalities and regional entities implement programs to improve greater system reliability, environmental sustainability, and fiscal predictability."
The deadline to submit applications is December 6.
For more information, go to
https://portal.ct.gov/deep/news-releases/news-releases---2024/deep-requesting-applications-for-$15m-in-available-materials-management-infrastructure-grant-funding
Recent EEA Briefing Raises Concern about PFAS Contamination of EU Textile Recycling Stream
"The use of PFAS in textiles poses a barrier to the longer use, reuse, recycling and other circular economy efforts to avoid textiles ending up in landfills or incineration in Europe or overseas," the European Environment Agency (EEA) said in publishing a briefing on the subject on September 17.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), sometimes called "forever chemicals" because they are biocumulative in humans and persistant in the environment, are commonly used in clothing, carpets and other household goods for waterproofing, oil, dirt and heat protection, and increased durability, although the EEA briefing says that alternatives are available to replace PFAS in the majority of different textile categories.
The EEA briefing also said there is a need to identify and separate PFAS at end of life for textiles already in use but this is rarely done in practice. Most textile waste in the European Union is incinerated but, it is unclear whether incineratuib adequately eliminates PFAS.
"The capacity to suitably destroy PFAS at scale in the EU needs to be developed," the EEA briefing concluded.
For more information go to
https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/newsroom/news/reduce-use-of-pfas-in-textiles
Hong Kong EPD Says Prepared Food Businesses Are Successfully Transitioning from Single-Use Plastics
The Hong Kong Environmental Protection Agendy (EPD) said on October 7 that a recently approved single-use plastics ordinance has "successfully initiated a trend of waste reduction across various sectors. The catering sector has reported that many takeaway customers have gradually adapted to bringing their own reusable cutlery. Chained restaurants have indicated that approximately 80 percent of their customers have chosen not to require takeaway cutlery, and about 30 percent of restaurants no longer provide any takeaway cutlery."
Hong Kong EPD also said, "The hotel sector has reported that the consumption of disposable plastic items since the implementation of the new regulation has been reduced substantially. Many visitors have also expressed support for the new plastic-free measures. The implementation of the new regulation has encouraged habitual changes among both the public and the trades, fostering a new culture of "plastic-free, disposable-free, and green-recycling" at the community level and paving the way towards a new milestone in plastic-free living."
The Hong Kong EPD announcement is posted at
https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202410/07/P2024100700350.htm
Only 53% of Irish Residents Understand What Can Be Recycled Says Packaging Compliance Scheme
Only 53% of Irish residents can accurately identify what can actually be recycled, according to survey data released on September 9 by the Irish packaging recycling scheme Repak.
"88% of the Recycling Knowledge Audit respondents believe they are doing a great job with their recycling; the reality is far different," explained the Repak announcement." Only 53% can accurately identify what can actually be recycled."
For example, only 41% of the more than 3,000 Irish residents surveyed of correctly knew that the plastic bags within paperboard cereal boxes needed to be separated prior to recycling.
The Repak announcement is posted at
https://repak.ie/news-room/irelands-recycling-knowledge-gap-close-the-loop
Most Portugese MSW Was Landfilled in 2022, According to Latest Government Annual Report
Last week, the Portuguese Ministry of Environment published its 2022 Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Annual Report. Among the findings, 59% of the country's MSW was sent to landfill while 12% was recovered as energy.
Portugal generated 5,338,000 million tons fo MSW in 2022, a slight increase from 2021. The annual report also noted that 168 municipalities in Portugal implemented selective organic waste recycling programs during 2022.
Get more information at
https://apambiente.pt/index.php/destaque2/raru-2023-relatorio-anual-de-residuos-urbanos
US Food Service Packaging Institute Publishes Study on Compostable Food Packaging Strategies
Last month, the Foodservice Packaging Institute (FPI) published a 37-page case study it recently conducted on integrating compostable foodservice packaging into residential composting programs in California, Minnesota, Texas and Washington.
The study "highlighted the advantages of including compostable foodservice packaging in residential composting programs to increase the collection of food waste for composting," the FPI said. "By accepting packaging, residents are no longer required to separate food remnants from their containers. This solution allows for the convenient and simplified disposal of both packaging and food scraps into compost collection bins, streamlining the process and reducing the likelihood of contamination."
Download the Foodservice Packaging Institute study at
https://www.recyclefsp.org/resources/fpi-residential-composting-foodservice-packaging-case-studies-paper