Why the new Commission must take a holistic approach to circular economy
Aline Maigret, Françoise Bonnet and Axel Darut are writing on behalf of the ‘EU collective to foster circular economy’
For instance, the EU’s Circular Material Use Rate, a key indicator that measures the share of recovered materials in total material use, has barely increased, moving from just 10.7% in 2010 to 11.5% in 2022.
As the EU prepares to appoint a dedicated Commissioner for Circular Economy, a critical question arises: will this role facilitate a truly systemic shift?
The next step in the EU’s journey should be a comprehensive framework to govern sustainable materials and resource management, with enforceable targets to reduce material footprints and consumption.
A more binding, target-focused mandate could accelerate progress on the circular economy, ensuring Europe is not only reducing waste but rethinking consumption itself as underlined by an open letter from EU organisations, businesses and NGOs on circular economy for members of the European Parliament.
