March 2010

European Cities Want Producers To Pay All E-Waste Management Costs
A half dozen other changes to the WEEE Directive recast are also called for in a new position paper.

South Australia Adopts New Statewide Recycling Requirements
Source separation of a range of materials will be required beginning in September.

Wales Moves Closer To Banning Specific Materials From Landfills
A Measure recently introduced in the Welsh General Assembly could lead to landfill bans on food, paper, wood, metals and or plastic.

UNEP Is Concerned About E-Waste Generation In Developing Nations
A report released last Monday provides an overview of current e-waste recycling methods, their market development potential and adoption barriers in 11 countries.

UK Seeks To Reduce Carbon Footprint And Waste In Packaging
Phase II of the so-called Courtauld Commitment seeks to reduce the “carbon impact of grocery packaging.” Separately, a new consultation on recycling and recovery was also launched.

Bill In US House Would Require Foreign Manufacturers To Have US Agents
The bill is intended to improve manufacturer accountability for the environmental performance and consumer safety of some imported products.

Denmark Publishes Environmental Technology Action Plan
The government will provide financial support for waste management and recycling innovations used domestically and exported.

Latest Draft Guidance On REACH And Waste Recovery Released
ECHA released Version 2 of the guidance to clear up concerns raised by recovery operators and recyclers.

German Environmental Agencies Call For Better E-Waste Export Monitoring
The call by two agencies accompanies the release of a study that finds a significant portion of exported e-wast is “non-functional” and useless.

Brazil Takes Next Step Toward National Waste Policy
House passes substitute to proposal introduced nearly 20 years ago.

Defra Is Concerned About Oxo-degradable Plastics Claims
The UK agency released a study that raises doubt about the material’s true environmental impact.

Netherlands Finds Lead Is Common In Imported Consumer Products
Tests of 450 products by the VROM Inspectorate found about 20 percent contained the banned substance.

French Environmental Ministry Reports On Effort To Green Supermarkets
Increased ecolabel use, packaging waste reductions, and CO₂ emission reductions were among the examples cited as indicators of progress.

European Commission Publishes Life Cycle Assessments Guidance
The collection of technical documents was designed to simplify and standardize the use of life cycle assessments (LCAs) by manufacturers and government agencies.

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