Germany narrowly missed the collection rate of 45 percent for waste electronic and electrical equipment (WEEE) in 2016. Large household appliances in particular are not being collected in sufficient numbers. read more
Only few waste household appliances are properly collected for recycling
UBA supports design for a circular economy
Keeping materials in circulation and preventing them from becoming waste is only possible if the design of a product is adapted accordingly. The possibilities offered by ecodesign were the topic of the Circular Design Forum in Berlin. Here, the results of the project “EcoDesign Circle” were presented, in which the UBA plays the leading role. Documentation and additional materials are now online. read more
Can product design prevent marine litter?
Designers can also contribute to solving the problem of marine litter – with the right choice of materials when designing products, for instance. This was the topic of a workshop that was initiated by the UBA in June 2018 with approximately 30 participants from the Baltic Sea Region. The results and specific recommendations for action have now been published. read more
Level of packaging consumption in Germany remains very high
A total of 18.16 million tonnes of packaging waste was generated in Germany in 2016. This is an increase of .05% over 2015. read more
UBA welcomes EU proposal on single use plastics
The European Commission issued a legislative proposal with seven measures for reducing waste on European beaches. The main aim of the proposal is to reduce the input of the most frequent plastic waste categories (top litter items). These are mainly single-use products such as food containers, cups, plastic bottles and cigarette butts, but also balloon sticks. read more
UBA to host National and European Resources Forum
From 27 to 29 November 2018, the German Environment Agency (UBA) is hosting the fourth European Resources Forum (ERF) and National Resources Forum (NRF) in Berlin. Both conferences have established themselves as important platforms for the scientific and political debate about a sustainable use of natural resources in Germany, Europe and internationally. read more
European Strategy for Plastics: Good approach, but too unclear
The German Environment Agency welcomes the EU’s initiative to change the use of plastics in Europe. The European Commission presented its Plastics Strategy on January 16th. read more
Environmental availability of raw materials
The availability of raw materials is determined by more than technical-geological, economic and political factors alone: the environmental risks of mining also has an impact. read more
