Recycling

The main aim of the Zero Waste Cities Manual is to provide a practical guide for the implementation of a zero waste system that emphasises decentralisation, source segregation, resource recovery, and informal sector inclusion. The vision for a zero waste system is to minimise movement of solid waste generated to disposal sites or facilities.

The campaign pushes for ambitious and robust reuse solutions to the plastic pollution crisis. They engage with decision-makers, businesses, municipalities and the wider public to advocate for a future where reusable packaging is scaled up and robust reuse systems are put in place.

This report addresses the plastic industry’s claims that chemical recycling, also known as “advanced recycling,” can play a significant role in reducing global plastic pollution. The science and data currently available do not support this claim and actually point to the conclusion that chemical recycling would support expansion of plastic production, while potentially causing unacceptable levels of environmental and social harm.

Promising research continues to emerge around alternative materials to single-use plastic. However, labels like “compostable” and “biodegradable” are misleading. The case study offers greater transparency around these novel materials, their behavior in the environment, and other concerns.

This report explores the current state of PET-based bottle recycling in Europe, as well as its potential for improvement, alongside analysis of common claims made to consumers on bottle labels relating to recycling.

Plastic water bottles are one of Europe’s most frequently purchased consumer products, a well-recognised source of plastic pollution and other environmental harm. Yet they remain widely promoted through claims relating to recycling. These claims are either vague, factually inaccurate, or otherwise not substantiated.

This report examines the widely promoted pyrolysis method in plastic waste management, shedding light on its inherent limitations. Pyrolysis has been hailed as a solution by industry, but this study reveals significant drawbacks.

In the ongoing negotiations of the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, the realities of disposable paper-based food packaging should not be ignored. Legislators must seize the opportunity to curb the growing levels of packaging waste driven by overreliance on single-use products.

Drawing on the Chemical Recycling technical assessment released in June 2020, this briefing unveils various technologies referred to as “chemical recycling” and addresses toxicity, climate implications, technology readiness, financial viability, and circularity of the processes.

When China closed its borders to foreign waste in 2018, countries in Southeast Asia were flooded with garbage from the Global North. This investigative report uncovers how communities on the ground were impacted by the sudden influx of foreign pollution, and how they’re fighting back.