Circular Economy: Resolving the interface between EU waste, product and chemicals policy

Optimising the use of constrained resources, including through maintaining the value of products, materials or resources in the economy for longer and minimising waste generation, is an objective that European Technology Industries represented by Orgalime support. 

Yet, the sector encounters a number of important barriers in the development of circular economy business models, as also well captured in the Commission’s study on “Regulatory barriers for the Circular Economy – Lessons learnt from ten case studies” of July 2016, which includes five case studies related to Orgalime industries. Among the confirmed barriers are “pieces of legislation that conflict each other because they represent conflicting values and for which “balanced choices” from a life cycle perspective will be essential”. 

The Commission’s initiative on the interface of waste, product and chemicals policy is therefore both, timely and critical for the systemic change that a circular economy requires.

Please download the position paper to read the full document including Orgalime's recommendations.