Circular Economy Practices

The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) is a significant legislative initiative by the European Union (EU) aimed at enhancing the environmental sustainability of products throughout their entire life cycle. Adopted on June 13, 2024, as Regulation 2024/1781, the ESPR replaces Directive 2009/125/EC and is a central component of the EU's Green Deal and Circular Economy Action Plan. Key Objectives of ESPR: 1/ Broadening Product Scope: Unlike its predecessor, which focused mainly on energy-related products, the ESPR extends its reach to nearly all physical goods in the EU market, excluding only a few categories like food and medical products. This expansion ensures a comprehensive approach to product sustainability across various industries. 2/ Establishing Ecodesign Requirements: The regulation sets a framework for ecodesign, encouraging manufacturers to create products that minimize environmental impact throughout their life cycle. This includes aspects such as durability, repairability, recyclability, and energy efficiency. 3/ Introducing the Digital Product Passport (DPP): A notable feature of the ESPR is the creation of a digital product passport, which provides detailed information on a product's environmental sustainability. Accessible via data carriers like QR codes or URLs, the DPP offers insights into a product's durability, repairability, recycled content, and availability of spare parts, aiding consumers in making informed purchasing decisions. 4/ Prohibiting Destruction of Unsold Goods: To combat waste, the ESPR introduces measures against the destruction of unsold consumer products. Starting July 19, 2026, large companies will be prohibited from destroying unsold textiles and footwear, with medium-sized companies following four years later. Small and micro-sized enterprises are exempt from this ban. Industries and categories: A preliminary assessment by the EC has identified that product categories such as textiles, furniture, mattresses, tyres, detergents, paints, lubricants, as well as intermediate products like iron, steel and aluminium, have high environmental impact and potential for improvement, and may thus be prioritised in the first workplan. To take into account individual characteristics and specificities of products, rules will be set product by product. However, where sufficient commonalities across certain products exist (such as electronic appliances or textiles), rules covering groups of products may be set. As mentioned above, these rules will apply equally to all products placed or put into service on the EU market, regardless of their origin - produced in the EU or imported. Expected Impact: The ESPR is anticipated to play a pivotal role in the EU's sustainability efforts. The European Commission estimates that by 2030, the regulation could save 132 million tonnes of primary energy, equivalent to approximately 150 billion cubic meters of natural gas, nearly matching the EU's previous imports of Russian gas. In summary, the ESPR represents a comprehensive strategy to promote sustainable product design, enhance consumer awareness, and facilitate the EU's transition towards a circular economy. 🔗 EP, EC, Lexology

The Right to Repair Directive is a significant piece of legislation adopted by the European Union (EU) to promote sustainability by encouraging the repair and reuse of consumer goods. Officially known as Directive 2024/1799, it was adopted on May 30, 2024, and aims to extend the lifespan of products, reduce waste, and bolster the repair sector. Key Objectives: 1/ Enhancing Repair Accessibility: The directive mandates that manufacturers provide timely and cost-effective repair services for their products, ensuring consumers can easily access repair options. 2/ Extending Product Lifespan: By facilitating repairs, the directive aims to prolong the life of consumer goods, thereby reducing the need for replacements and minimizing waste. 3/ Consumer Awareness: Manufacturers are required to inform consumers about their rights to repair, promoting a culture of repair over replacement. Key Provisions: -> Obligation to Repair: Manufacturers must offer repair services for their products, even after the warranty period has expired, unless the repair is factually or legally impossible. -> Extension of Legal Guarantee: Goods repaired under the warranty will benefit from an additional one-year extension of the legal guarantee, further incentivizing consumers to choose repair over replacement. -> Repairability as a Consumer Expectation: The directive includes "repairability" as a factor for assessing the reasonable expectations of consumers under the Sale of Goods Directive, encouraging manufacturers to design products that are easier to repair. Implementation Timeline: Adoption Date: The directive was adopted on May 30, 2024. Transposition into National Law: Member states have 24 months to incorporate the directive into their national laws, with compliance expected by the second half of 2026. 🔗 EP, EC

The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) is a comprehensive EU legislation designed to minimize packaging waste and promote sustainable practices across the European Union. Replacing the previous Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (PPWD) 94/62/EC. The PPWR aims to harmonize national measures, strengthen the internal market, and transition towards a circular economy. Key Objectives: -> Prevent and reduce packaging waste through increased reuse and refill systems -> Mandates all packaging on the EU market to be recyclable in an economically viable way by 2030 -> Sets targets for incorporating recycled plastics into packaging, aiming to decrease reliance on virgin materials -> Aligns the packaging sector with the EU's broader goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050 Key Provisions: -> Imposes restrictions on certain single-use plastics, such as pre-packed fruits and vegetables weighing less than 1.5 kg, and individual portions of condiments, sauces, and sugar in hotels, bars, and restaurants. -> Requires minimizing the weight and volume of packaging to avoid unnecessary waste. -> Establishes targets for a minimum percentage of recycled content in packaging by 2030 and 2040. -> Take-away businesses are required to offer customers the option to bring their own containers at no extra cost. -> Aims to minimize substances of concern, including restrictions on packaging containing per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) if they exceed certain thresholds. By establishing these measures, the PPWR is expected to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and water usage by 2030, while mitigating the adverse impacts of packaging and packaging waste on the environment and human health. 🔗 EC

The European Union's Waste Framework Directive (WFD) serves as the cornerstone of EU waste legislation, establishing essential concepts and definitions related to waste management, including recycling and recovery. In July 2023, the European Commission proposed a targeted revision of the WFD, focusing on reducing food and textile waste to promote a more sustainable and circular economy. Key Amendments in the Revised Waste Framework Directive: 1/ Food Waste Reduction Targets Member States are required to reduce food waste generation by 10% in upstream processing and manufacturing, and by 30% per capita in restaurants, retail, and households, all based on 2020 levels, by 2030. 2/ Textile Waste Management The revision introduces extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes, obliging fashion brands and textile producers to contribute financially to the collection and treatment of textile waste. By 2028, the European Commission will assess the feasibility of setting specific targets for waste prevention, collection, preparation for reuse, and recycling in the textile sector. ​ 3/ Separate Collection Requirements Member States must ensure the separate collection of textiles for reuse, preparation for reuse, and recycling by January 1, 2025. 4/ Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for Textiles The revision establishes harmonized EPR schemes for textiles, requiring producers to pay fees based on the circularity and environmental performance of their products. 5/ Role of Social Economy Entities The revision acknowledges the role of social economy entities, such as charities and social enterprises, in textile collection systems, allowing them to maintain separate collection points and potentially exempting them from certain reporting requirements to reduce administrative burdens. In February 2025, the European Parliament and the Council reached a provisional agreement on these revisions. The agreed text now awaits formal adoption, after which Member States will have up to 20 months to transpose the new rules into national legislation. These revisions aim to significantly reduce food and textile waste, aligning with the EU's broader objectives of enhancing sustainability and promoting a circular economy. 🔗 European Commission, European Council