Circular economy in France

Circular Economy: “France risks not meeting its 2025 targets”- European Commission Report

By Houmi Ahamed-Mikidache

The European Commission is today publishing a report on circular economy. Entitled “Waste Early Warning Report”, the report identifies the EU recycling targets. Member States are at risk of not meeting the recycling targets for municipal waste and packaging waste set for 2025. They could neither reach the reduction target for landfill by 2035. France might not reach its circular economy target.

Bin with yellow lid and explanation on the bin in Nancy, France @eraenvironnement

The situation in Europe

18 Member States may not meet one or both of the 2025 targets. Estonia, Finland, France, Ireland, Latvia, Portugal, Spain and Sweden may not meet the municipal waste target. Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania and Slovakia may not meet the targets for municipal waste and all packaging waste by 2025.

Some countries also continue to landfill most of their municipal waste. They are unlikely to meet the 2035 landfill target. Nine Member States are on track to meet the 2025 targets. Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Slovenia are those countries.

The figures in France

Based on the analysis of the data collected and current policies, France is considered to be at risk of not meeting their target. The 55% target set for 2025 for preparing for reuse and recycling its municipal waste. There is a risk that the country will not reach this targer. It applies specifically to plastic packaging.

According to the report’s data, the recycling rate in France is steadily increasing from 42.9% in 2016 to 45.1% in 2018. But it has since declined. In 2020, it was 42.7%. In addition, new waste recycling calculation rules are beginning to apply. It could lead to lower recycling rates. The landfill rate rose from 22.4% in 2016 to 18.1% in 2020. It should bring closer to the 2035 target. France has a relatively high rate of municipal waste incineration. It was 38.1% in 2020, above the EU average of 27%.

Recycling rates for packaging waste in France are above the recycling targets. France has met the targets for most types of packaging waste (paper and cardboard, metal, wood and glass). However, the recycling rate of plastic packaging waste is far from the target of 50% (26.9% in 2019). The country is facing several difficulties.

The Biowaste Source Sorting Puzzle Coupled with Plastic

Collection and treatment of municipal biowaste is problematic and insufficient. Separate collection of biowaste is not common France. There is a lack of collection of bio waste and an effort has to be made to provide infrastructure. It is necessary to multiply composting plants and digesters, biogas reactors, a process of anaerobic digestion of organic materials from various sources. But the issue of bio waste, organic waste, is, according to the report, a recurring problem in Europe. It constitutes a third of municipal waste.

As far as plastic is concerned, in France only a small part of the population is covered by a separate collection system, stresses the report. The collection system for collecting plastic packaging is deficient. The introduction of set-aside systems for plastic packaging can increase these capture rates. Extended producer responsibility regimes do not cover commercial plastic packaging waste. Furthermore, in some parts of the country, these schemes do not cover all types of plastic packaging.

Recommendations: a note of hope?

According to the European Commission report, France has introduced a number of new measures. It should improve the results in the years to come. But it takes a long-term observation period to observe the effects, the report says. It recommends therefore a significant increase in efforts to reach the 2025 targets. To improve the management of plastic and municipal waste, the report recommends that France support the preparation for the reuse of municipal waste and reuse systems for packaging.

France should improve the sorting and collection of bio waste at the source and ensure that sufficient capacity is devoted to its treatment. The report also recommends that France implement a waste payment system that covers the entire population and provides more incentives for the public to sort waste at source. The EU report advises France to improve and extend separate collection systems. France should separate especiallyplastic waste, by guaranteeing the collection of all types of plastic packaging waste.

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Eraenvironnement.com est un site internet français fondé en 2013 par Houmikouloussoumi ( Houmi) Ahamed à Paris. Il diffuse des articles spécialisés autour du journalisme de solutions. Les mots Era et Environnement sont deux mots anglais et français. Il signifient ère( traduction du mot anglais era) et Environnement (mot français). Era Environnement représente une ambition globale d'impulser une nouvelle approche de l'éducation environnementale à travers le journalisme. Anciennement situé à Paris, Era Environnement était une association de loi 1901 créée en 2016. Elle a été dissoute en 2017. Le site internet publie régulièrement des analyses sur les actions de coopération sud-sud ainsi que les relations nord-sud. Il traite des informations sud-nord liées à l'environnement. Il traite du changement climatique et des questions de développement durable. Fin 2018, Houmi Ahamed s'installe aux Comores, dans l'Océan Indien. S'inscrivant dans sa démarche de journalisme de solutions et d'éducation environnementale, elle dirige en 2019 Era Environnement SARL, une entreprise créée en 2018 dans l'archipel des Comores. Era Environnement SARL mène au mois de novembre 2019 un projet significatif dans petit état insulaire, marquée par de nombreuses crises politiques. Cette initiative innovante vise à former dix jeunes femmes issues de zones rurales et côtières . Le cœur du projet est de mettre en lumière des solutions concrètes face au changement climatique en valorisant les savoirs traditionnels comoriens. Un accent particulier est mis alors sur le village natal des parents de Houmi Ahamed, soulignant l'importance d'une approche communautaire et enracinée dans la culture locale pour l'éducation environnementale. Ce projet se concrétise par la création d'une radio en ligne, radio Era Environnement. Avec le soutien de l'UNESCO, cette initiative illustre l'engagement d'Era Environnement pour des actions pratiques et basées sur l'implication des communautés dans la compréhension des enjeux environnementaux. Aujourd'hui, l'entreprise ERA ENVIRONNEMENT SARL n'existe plus aux Comores. Elle est en phase de restructuration en France. Son objectif actuel est de mettre en œuvre de nouveaux projets qui intègrent spécifiquement la jeunesse, soulignant ainsi davantage son engagement envers les générations futures et le développement durable.