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Hapag-Lloyd has announced that Effective February 16, 2026 a completed Letter of Indemnity (LOI) is mandatory for shipments of plastic scraps and metal scraps

on the topics of - critical raw materials and - EU 2030 -

New Eurostat data released today exposes the scale of Europe’s overconsumption of electronics and the continued failure to properly collect and recycle e-waste.

As discussed inside Global WtERT Council we are now in the process of taking the small step towards the new website wasteculture.com. I am convinced that this also will help the common cause to foster WtE techniques who need more acceptance in society.

Basel Action Network (BAN) releases startling exposé “Brokers of Shame”

Lockdown measures imposed on five municipalities and over 60,000 residents due to a toxic smoke cloud.

Today, the Commission launched several initiatives to accelerate the EU's transition to a circular economy and prepare the ground for the Circular Economy Act, expected in 2026.

Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) forces Lidl to dutifully take back electronic waste

The months-long effort to remove these batteries is coming to an end this April.

Today, the European Commission adopted the 2025-2030 working plan for the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) and Energy Labelling Regulation.

WtERT asked Dr. J. Hobohm, Managing Director of Gemeinsames Rücknahmesystem Servicegesellschaft mbH about high level events in this year. Her response is remarkable:

ACI Environ is organizing the Study Tour on Battery Recycling in China, from the 16th to the 20th June 2025.

By creating the BiH ESAP 2030+, the competent institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) received an Environmental Strategy and an Action Plan with strategic and thematic goals, with feasible, clearly defined and adopted measures. The content of BiH ESAP2030+ refers to seven EU areas of the environmental acquis, including the thematic area of Waste.

The “Brennpunkt: Batterie” campaign is an initiative of the members of the BDE

E-waste is a complex mixture of materials and components that can cause major environmental and health problems due to its hazardous content. In order to improve e-waste management and contribute to the circular economy and increase resource efficiency, it is necessary to improve the collection, treatment, and recycling of e-waste.

Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) contains dangerous substances that pose risks to the environment and human health. In 2022, the WEEE collection rate was 40.6%, which is still lower than the 65% target set by the WEEE Directive. Electrical and electronic equipment is placed on the market faster than WEEE is collected, which reflects Member States’ struggle to reach collection targets and ensure that it does not reach the environment.

Incorrect disposal of small and micro electrical appliances with lithium batteries (Lithium Light Appliances - LiLA) represents an increased safety risk. GRS is testing separate return of these devices at public waste disposal sites and in retail using the LiLA bin.

This exciting initiative, led by ECOLOGICON GmbH and Stiftung GRS Batterien. Funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety BATTPRO focuses on developing sustainable systems for collecting and recycling household and lithium-ion batteries in Cambodia and Thailand.

In summer 2024, the South African government published a strategy paper on the management of e-waste, which was developed in collaboration with Empa. This is the first time the country has issued standardized guidelines for the proper and safe handling of e-waste. The collaboration is part of a program funded by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).

The first reuse project funded by Elektroaltgeräte Koordinierungsstelle Austria GmbH (EAK), ‘Elektro To Go’, has been successfully implemented in the district of Rohrbach in Upper Austria and provides a strong example of a functioning regional circular economy.

Belgium prohibits the sale of single-use (disposable) e-cigarettes as of 1 January 2025.

Amending Bill of the German Act on Electr(on)ical Equipment (11 October 2024): Separate collection for re-use

Expected ban of disposable e-cigarettes (“puffs”) in France