Κυκλική Οικονομία: Μείωση Αποβλήτων & Οφέλη

• The document discusses actions related to achieving goals for waste reduction and circular economy implementation.
• It focuses on reducing waste, increasing value extraction from materials, promoting functional circularity for citizens and cities, and leading global efforts (e.g., waste transfer).

Legislative Background

• The new Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP 2.0) aligns efforts with climate goals agreed in the Green Deal and Paris Agreement.
• CEAP 2.0 emphasizes preventive actions, particularly in waste prevention and management, unlike the 2015 plan which focused on product recyclability.
• The document references a Dutch government benchmark to reduce resource use by 50% by 2030, suggesting it could inspire EU policy.

Economic and Social Impact of Circular Economy

• A circular economy aims to drastically reduce EU CO2 emissions.
• A circular economy fosters economic growth and creates job opportunities essential for Europe's recovery.
• CEAP 2.0 could generate 700,000 jobs across the EU by 2030.
• EU GDP is expected to increase by 0.5% as a result of CEAP 2.0.
• The circular economy supports digitalization and an economy based on leasing, with "Product as a Service" (PaaS) models being key.

Product as Service (PaaS)

• PaaS provides the same products to the maximum number of people, repeatedly.
• It offers an alternative to "buy and own," involving leasing or pay-per-use agreements.
• Customers purchase a service or outcome rather than the product itself.

Material Production and CO2 Emissions

• The production of everyday materials accounts for 45% of CO2 emissions.
• A circular economy needs a holistic, assessment-based approach to policymaking.
• Circularity and sustainability must be ensured at all stages of the value chain for CEAP 2.0 to succeed; innovation is crucial, relying on new digital technologies.

Policy Framework for Sustainable Products

• CEAP 2.0 aims to reverse "downcycling" (degrading recycling) towards "upcycling."
• New technologies should be pursued to ensure recycled product quality matches that of virgin materials.
• The report supports emphasizing product environmental footprints, as 80% of environmental impacts are determined at design stage.
• The report focuses on resource efficiency targets for product categories and on incorporating recycled content while ensuring performance and safety, based on reliable calculation methods.

Consumer Information and Digital Product Passports

• Consumers/producers want current, accurate sustainability information on products and sources.
• The report supports digital product passports.
• Environmental impact assessments should consider spare parts, semi-finished products, recyclability, and life cycle impacts.

Empowering Consumers and Public Sector Buyers

• The public sector accounts for only 14% of the EU GDP.
• The Commission should lead via mandatory minimum criteria/targets for green public procurement.
• The Commission and member states could act as "first clients".
• Strengthening consumer rights is key, including the "right to repair."

Circularity in Production

• Circular production should be central to the EU industrial strategy.
• Sustainably sourced materials have significant potential in supporting the bioeconomy's development.
• Achieving circularity in production depends on developing new technologies.
• The Commission/member states should invest in innovation focused on enhanced recycling and digital technologies.
• Investments should focus on both final and semi-finished products.

Value Chains of Key Products

• The report supports the Commission's selection of seven key areas: electronics/ICT, batteries/vehicles, packaging, plastics, textiles, construction/buildings, food/water/nutrients.
• These areas have major potential for the development ofcircular economies.
• SMEs and industry stakeholders are demonstrating a strong push toward a circular economy, despite administrative or legislative obstacles and the impact of a pandemic.

Electronics and ICT

• CEAP 2.0 should establish an initiative for circular management of electronics, promoting longer product lives via reuse, repair, and upgrades.
• Proper recycling infrastructure will be vital for developing a circular ICT industry.

Batteries and Vehicles

• The report awaits Commission proposals on battery and alternative fuel infrastructure directives.
• Focus areas include ecodesign, collection improvement, reuse/recycling, recovery of materials, consumer information, life cycle impacts, and sustainable supply of raw materials.
• Clean mobility and raw material policies are essential.

Textiles

• A new EU strategy for textiles will be essential to address environmental and social impacts.
• The Commission should propose sustainable policies on textile-sector products.
• It should address microplastics, establish measurement and prevention systems, and control the release of microfibers.

Plastics

• Along with textiles, tires and plastic spheres plastics significantly contribute to primary microplastics in the environment.
• An even larger portion of this pollution comes from the degradation of discarded microplastics in the marine environment.

Packaging

• Packaging is essential for the safety and hygiene of products, especially in the food and beverage sector.
• Policy efforts should also incentivize packaging reuse.
• Packaging should be minimal while ensuring product quality/safety.
• The report calls on industry to commit to a 50% packaging reduction, replacing plastic with sustainable/renewable/recyclable materials to 2030.

Construction and Buildings

• The construction sector has two simultaneous challenges such as rapid urbanization and population growth increase the demand for buildings, while existing buildings require renovation and energy efficiency improvements.
• The Commission should prioritize the renovation wave and expresses hope that it will re-examine major waste streams, also keeping in mind the economic feasibility and the feasibility of the proposal.

Food, Water and Nutrients

• The report supports legislative initiatives for wastewater reuse in agricultural processes.
• Reusing treated urban wastewater can address water scarcity by providing reclaimed water for agricultural irrigation.
• The Commission should also examine closing the agricultural nutrient cycle.

Waste Reduction

• By 2035, Europe faces deadlines for recycling 65% of municipal waste.
• A maximum of 10% should be in landfills.
• The EU should avoid landfilling if sustainable waste management technologies are available.

Circularity for Citizens

• A circular economy needs both top-down and bottom-up approaches, emphasizing local communities' leadership.
• The Commission should promote the exchange of best practices in waste collection and new sorting infrastructure.

Global Efforts

• Recent Basel Convention amendments on plastic waste trade are a key part of Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP) 2.0.
• Revision of waste transfer regulations and consideration of restricting transfers are also necessary.
• Need to focus on how to provide incentives to reduce exports.
• Also calls for commitments to waste offsetting programs to ensure secondary material flow.

Greek Circular Economy Strategy

• Greece has a national strategy approved in December 2018 which sets the basis for public policy regarding circular economy.
• Pillars of the strategy include:
• Sustainable resource management, the aim is to increase efficiency and re-examine value chains as well as the rational management of waste and the reuse of buildings and the re-use of water/storage of rainwater.
• Strengthening of circular economy for entrepreneurship with encouragement for the idea of eco-design; as well as product production with a long life span/repair/renovate/reuse and reclamation.
• Circular construction and cluster parks
• Support the biological economy and the use of secondary materials • Circular Consumption with full citizen awareness and use of Ecolabel certification and other incentives • Education and basic goals include:
• Sustainable food consumption.
• Prevention of excessive use of resources • Prevention of waste production through preparation for re-use. • Control of retail e-commerce.
• Promotion of the “use of service” rather than "supply product”, repair and renovation
• Main strategic goals for Greece by 2030 are:
• Integration for ecological design criteria and assessment of a product life cycle
• Effective hierarchy management regarding waste
• Promote and create better energy efficiency guides
• Promote new consumption patterns and digital platforms
• Promote a rationale consumption and inform people of things that help extend life cycle and save energy.
• Make it easier to form and create useful communication between different administrations, and encourage agencies
• Highlight the message on transition from linear – circle economy to inform and train and give awareness
• Design translucent/possible parameter for the implementation

Greek Implementation

• During 2019-2021 many initiatives were undertaken for the advancement of a circular economy in Greece.
• New legislative and regulatory framework on waste, with the support of the European Plactics Pact.
• The revision of the National Waste management Plan.
• Th establisment of new Framework for the management of single use plastics
• Launching project of LIFE-IP CEI-Greece project

Establishment Of national Measures like

• To prevent waste of food stuff by free supply and reduce VAT fees
• Separate system for collecting guarantee for bottles
• Re-design of new products
• Sensitizing

Basic Charactiristics Of New Action Plan

• Revision 2018-2019 include the National Strategy for Circle of Economy
• Fully harmonized their target - Compliant to European directives

New action plan also need

• To identify the key areas related the circle of economy and find new creative work field

Challenges for Entrepeneurship

Creating a linear business framework in Greece

• The citizens access knowledge with proper sign labeling
• Support development indicator and data with the support of “Horizon Europe” and digital tooling
• Need cooperation at the national-level/ regional-level
• Municipalities need to create innovation as well as the companies and new technology

Overview of Waste Management Data

The following is selected waste management data for Greece in context to the EU.

• Municipal waste generated
• Waste generated per unit product
• Treatments of waste
• Recycling amounts
• Investments materials for new goods or materials

Actions Needed

• 51 specific actions and horizon
• Most be adapted a new regulatory framework.