Letter to EU Urging Stronger Limit Values for POPs in Waste

European Commission Proposal for amending Annexes IV and V to the Regulation (EU) 2019/1021 of the European Parliament and of the Council on persistent organic pollutants:
An opportunity for the EU to prevent toxic recycling and contamination of the circular economy through the substantial strengthening of limit values for POPs in waste

Civil society comments and briefing for European Union Member States and Members of the European Parliament

We urge Members of the European Parliament and Member States to support stronger limit values for POPs in waste than what the EC proposes. The weak limits currently proposed by the EC undermine the Stockholm Convention and lead in practice to POPs recycling that is incompatible with the European Green Deal.

The European Commission (EC) is proposing to adopt new limit values for persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in waste. POPs are the most toxic and persistent chemicals ever studied and include dioxins (PCDD/Fs), PCBs or some PFAS and brominated flame retardants (PBDEs). The Stockholm Convention requires the destruction of wastes that exceed POPs limit values (known as Low POP Content Levels set by the Basel Convention) and bans the recycling of wastes contaminated with POPs to maintain toxic-free material cycles. However, the EC is proposing weak POP limits, which will allow plastic and other wastes contaminated with POPs to be, in practice, recycled by the industry in the EU. The transition to high-quality and toxic-free material cycles cannot be achieved while allowing POPs recycling in materials.

Read the full letter by clicking the link below.