Recycling: The Industry is Moving Forward

On June 5th, the World Environment Day took place with more than 3,000 initiatives around the globe. Led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and held annually since 1973, it has grown to be the largest global platform for environmental outreach; millions of people across the world in over 150 countries celebrate this event each year. According to UNEP, major corporations, non-governmental organizations, communities, governments and celebrities from across the world adopt the World Environment Day brand to champion environmental causes.

This year, the Republic of Korea hosted the Awareness Day with a focus on ending plastic pollution globally. The world produces more than 400 million tons of plastic annually, two-thirds of which are short-lived products that soon become waste, filling the ocean and, often, working their way into the human food chain, UNEP underlined. Globally, an estimated 11 million tons of plastic waste would leak into aquatic ecosystems each year, while microplastics would accumulate in the soil from sewage and landfills, due to the use of plastics in agricultural products. According to UNEP, the annual social and environmental cost of plastic pollution is estimated to be between 300 billion and 600 billion US-Dollar. “Ridding the planet of plastic pollution is an important contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, including those on climate action, sustainable production and consumption, protection of seas and oceans and repairing ecosystems and retaining biodiversity.”

In view of this situation, there is a huge need for solutions. An efficient waste management on the way to a circular economy would help to change for the better, as recycling is an important part of this transformation. In October, K 2025, the international trade fair for the plastic and rubber industry in Düsseldorf (Germany) will demonstrate what progress has been achieved on plastics recycling.

The international recycling sector is also continuously moving forward. At the BIR World Recycling Convention & Exhibition in Valencia (Spain), the organization’s President Susie Burrage OBE emphasized: “It is in our DNA to adapt, to lead and to innovate. And in the last two years, we have fully embraced that responsibility – not just to remain relevant, but to actively shape global sustainability through our work in recycling.” At this meeting, she also applauded the elevation of BIR’s Plastics Committee to Division status. She described this as a “milestone that rightly recognizes the growing importance of plastics recycling around the world”. You can find more information on the event on page 3.

The Nordic states are on their way to achieve the EU recycling targets. Iceland is reducing its landfill waste (page 24), while Denmark is looking for solutions, partnerships and projects (page 28). Furthermore, a new study published by the Nordic Council of Ministers recommends stronger waste prevention measures (page 27).

We hope you get a lot of new and useful information from reading this current magazine.

Yours, Brigitte Weber