Waste recycling

This study presents the main findings of a literature review about municipalities’ separate waste collection (SWC) in EU Countries. Citizens’ behaviour plays a key role in separate collection. Thus, it is important to understand the main behavioural factors of waste sorting and how it can be encouraged. Along with the literature review, various stakeholders participated in a survey to identify the factors influencing SWC. We discuss when people are motivated and able to sort their waste. This allows for a much more detailed understanding of consumer waste sorting than simply socio-demographic characteristics. We also discuss how the factors affecting SWC vary from country to country.

There is significant potential to increase recycling across Europe for municipal, construction and electronic waste according to a European Environment Agency briefing. Compared to current recycled amounts, this potential can double recycling for municipal and electronic waste and increase it by 30 % for construction and demolition waste.

A faster, more efficient way of recycling plant-based “bioplastics” has been developed by a team of scientists at the Universities of Birmingham and Bath.

ESM and Bioeconomy Pilots successful in TAF-applications.

The waste of the grapes after the harvest is used to produce cosmetics and healthy products. This project brings together winegrowers, researchers and entrepreneurs from several Mediterranean countries.

Trappist monks in the Netherlands are turning brewing waste into pure, clean drinking water, thanks to a combination of modern technology and nature itself. It’s part of the NextGen European research project aimed at improving the management of water resources used in industry and agriculture.

Slovenian researchers have designed and built a pilot plant to turn used clothes into materials such as glucose, glycol or acids that can be used in the biochemical industry.