Position papers
Over the last decades, the European recycling industries have drastically evolved by modernizing and constantly innovating to turn more waste streams into new resources. By doing so, the sector has contributed to the development of new technologies and automated equipment made in Europe and exported around the globe. The European regulatory framework has accompanied these changes thanks to ambitious targets and a meaningful waste hierarchy. However, the recycling sector continues to be subject to a complex and ever-growing EU regulatory framework, which affects its activities. To ensure a competitive European recycling sector, which is part of a global industry, EuRIC advocates clear, effective and smart European policies which:
- Incentivise recycling across the value chains;
- Minimise regulatory burdens on recyclers, in particular on SMEs;
- Guarantee an open and fair competition within Europe and with the world to foster a genuine internal recycling market.
EuRIC also advocates positive measures to ensure a consistent implementation of existing legislation across Europe.
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Joint Statement on Quality Control Guidelines for Recovered Paper
EuRIC and FEAD stress that the revised version of the “Paper for Recycling Control Guidelines”, which they did not co-sign, do not bind their Members’ Associations or the waste management and recycling companies they represent.
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EuRIC calls for a risk-based application of the hazard property HP14 – ecotoxicity when classifying waste
EuRIC expressed strong concerns that the outcomes of the “Study to assess the impacts of different classification approaches for hazard property "HP 14" on selected waste streams”, to be used as a basis for amending Annex III of the Waste Framework Directive (WFD), will adversely impact recycling.
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Pull measures – Boosting the use of secondary raw materials for a sustainable economy
EuRIC and FEAD call for more emphasis on the demand side in the Commission Circular Economy proposals. For a Circular Economy to work in practice, waste which cannot be prevented must be capable of being recovered as a useful resource in line with the waste hierarchy. This will only happen if the recovery of those waste resources is economically viable at prices which reflect the true cost of collecting them, sorting them, recycling and marketing them to end users. It is therefore key to reward the environmental benefits of recycling and level the playing field with virgin materials. This joint statement includes a number of concrete pull measures needed to boost the use of secondary raw materials for a sustainable economy.
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EuRIC preliminary comments on the new Circular Economy Package
Recyclers welcomes the wider perspectives offered by the new package to close the loop and call for targeted measures to achieve a greater level of ambition and clarity, in line with their vision that sees waste as a resource.
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EuRIC takes position against Market Economy Status for China
The European Recycling Industries’ Confederation (EuRIC) voices European steel recyclers’ position against Market Economy Status for China (MES).
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COP21 – EuRIC: Time to acknowledge the benefits of recycled steel scrap in steelmaking
EuRIC voiced European steel recyclers’ views during a side-event of the United Nations conference on climate change COP21.
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New Circular Economy Package: European recyclers see scope for greater ambition
EuRIC welcomes the publication of the circular economy package by the European Commission as a first step to support sustainable growth in Europe.
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Statement of the European Steel Recyclers ahead of the Competitiveness Council of 9.11.2015 on the EU Steel Industry
EuRIC calls the Competitiveness Council of 9 November 2015 for immediate action to restore the competitiveness of the European steel recycling industry.
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EuRIC concrete proposals for a market-driven circular economy
In order to make a difference for companies, society and the environment, an ambitious circular economy package needs to be market-driven and lay down the framework conditions enabling all actors to move away from a linear economy. EuRIC concrete proposals address each of the main challenges recyclers currently face across Europe, in a holistic manner.
