As incoming legislation across the European Union this year promises to strengthen the advance of circularity in business, the Dutch government has shared its own ambitions and targets to achieve a fully circular economy by 2050.
Revealed in the government’s National Circular Economy Programme 2023-2030, the plan has received praise for its placing focus on circular design to “address the underlying issues of waste generation, pollution, and energy-intensive processes.”
Specifically, the plan emphasises the reduction and substitution of primary raw materials within products, achieved through the creation of what it calls ‘circular flows’ that are mostly composed of reusable primary, secondary, and sustainable bio-based raw materials.
The plan underscores the ambition to transition away from linear resource use by reducing raw material usage by using fewer raw materials through abstaining from the production or purchase of products; substituting raw materials with secondary raw materials and sustainable bio-based alternatives; extending product lifetime for longer and more intensive use through reuse and repair; and developing higher-grade recycling systems for materials and raw materials.
Go!Pha, the Amsterdam-headquartered Global Organisation for PHA biopolymers, has praised the plan first for acknowledging “that recycling alone is not the answer to closing the loop for a circular economy” and for shining a light on the importance on bio-based alternatives for raw materials.
“We applaud the Dutch government for its proactive efforts in exploring the merits of bio-based materials as substitutes for fossil-based counterparts, thereby contributing significantly to the pursuit of a truly circular economy,” said the Organisation. “This commitment to sustainable practices is truly commendable and sets a positive example for responsible governance.”
Across the European Union, a new Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive came into effect as of January 1st 2024 with significant implications for UK businesses trading with Europe. The directive itself is being phased in over the next two years, starting with larger companies before new requirements for SMEs come into effect.
A full package of measures aimed at reducing greenwashing and unifying UK sustainability reporting is also anticipated to land this year under the name UK Sustainability Disclosure Standards. This will include measures on sustainable investment labels, disclosure requirements, and restrictions on the use of sustainability-related terms in product naming and marketing. The complete UK SDS standards are expected to be published by July 2024.
