An Earth Day we'll instinctively support - Main contents

At the EU Beach Cleanup in Blankenberge on March 25 I saw hundreds of volunteers who were passionate about stopping waste pollution and creating a circular economy.

Today it is Earth Day 2018 and again thousands of people dedicate to End Plastic Pollution.

You all inspire me, because you are frontrunners and that is exactly what the EU will be when we have implemented our new waste rules. When we see animals dying from plastics and the poisoning of our oceans, we all know: we need to act. Blankenberge beach has become cleaner, and so will the whole EU.

We have come a long way and together we can get even further. People are already changing their behavior and attitude about plastic. Waste management has improved considerably in recent decades, although recovery and recycling rates still vary across Europe. The new rules, adopted by the European Parliament April 18, cover the full life cycle of waste materials in a way that I believe will make sense to everyone: placing prevention, re-use and recycling above landfilling and incineration. The rules entail:

Municipal waste recycling targets: 55% by 2025, 60% by 2030, 65% by 2035

Separate targets for packaging materials

The phase out of landfilling: 10% maximum landfilling by 2035

Giving producers an important role through Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)

This package is a key element in the Circular Economy Action Plan, and there is more to come: next month we will announce our Single Use Plastic proposal. I think this shows how the EU will help actors all over the value chain to prevent and reduce waste. For example by extending producers responsibility to the post-consumer stage of a product's life cycle, or by making all EU citizens aware that there are perfect, and harmless, alternatives for Single Use Plastics. Why not use a reusable coffee cup or shopping bag instead of disposable items?

I firmly believe the EU must lead the way globally engaging countries, and making sure others follow. The U.N. Environment agency fears that by 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in the seas. I share that fear, but I'm convinced there are solutions and they require cooperation. No country, company or organization can solve waste issues and plastic pollution on its own. I commit to acting together, so that we can seize the opportunities of a circular economy together. It will boost competitiveness, foster sustainable economic growth and generate new jobs.

Thanks for all your effort so far! I hope you will enjoy and contribute to Earth Day. This day and from this point forward.

Watch our video on recycling here:https://ec.europa.eu/avservices/video/player.cfm?sitelang=en&ref=I152729