Brussels, 14 January – A new policy briefing by Zero Waste Europe (ZWE) argues for tougher chemical policy measures to be included in the European Commission’s upcoming Circular Economy Act (CEA) to avoid a future public health crisis.
The briefing, Building a healthy circular economy: Integrating chemicals, products and waste under the Circular Economy Act, warns that disregarding chemical policy within the CEA will have significant health and economic costs.
Dorota Napierska, Toxic-Free Circular Economy Policy Officer at ZWE, states:
“It is difficult to understand why, after decades of mounting evidence about our exposure to highly hazardous chemicals and their impact on our health, so little action has been taken. Safer chemicals and a high level of transparency should automatically be integrated into new policy regulations, in order to benefit our health and economic security. We cannot build a future-proof, circular economy, while simultaneously harming society.”
The briefing emphasises the urgent need to increase chemical transparency and traceability along the value chain, in order to tackle the issue of human chemical exposure and material contamination. For the transition towards a circular economy to be sustainable in the long term, the briefing strongly advises putting an end to trade-offs between increasing recycling rates, and minimising consumer and environmental exposure to harmful chemicals.
Co-author Lauriane Veillard, Chemical Recycling and Plastic-to-Fuels Policy Officer at ZWE, states:
“Despite the headlines, the transition towards a circular economy cannot solely rely on recycling. The entire system needs to change in order to stop producing products that contain dangerous chemicals, and to start systematically tracing existing chemicals in the value chain. We cannot request recyclers to address all the problems related to a material without even knowing what chemicals it contains.”
With the CEA due for adoption in 2026, ZWE urges the European Commission to harness circularity and competitiveness to develop a healthy, safe and non-toxic circular economy that will truly benefit the public’s health and economic wellbeing.
ENDS
Notes to the Editor
Read the report here:
Press contacts
Ariane Osman, Communications Officer, [email protected] or [email protected] / +32 471 96 55 93
Dorota Napierska, Toxic-Free Circular Economy Policy Officer, [email protected]
Lauriane Veillard, Chemical Recycling and Plastic-to-Fuels Policy Officer, [email protected]
About Zero Waste Europe
Zero Waste Europe (ZWE) is the European network of communities, local leaders, experts, and change agents working towards a better use of resources and the elimination of waste in our society. We advocate for sustainable systems; for the redesign of our relationship with resources; and for a global shift towards environmental justice, accelerating a just transition towards zero waste for the benefit of people and the planet. www.zerowasteeurope.eu