The plan from the Commission should acknowledge today's high level of circularity of renewable fiber-based materials. It should focus more on keeping fossils in the ground. And also refrain from introducing a mandatory recycled content for a product to be sustainable.
The European Commission has adopted a new Circular Economy Action Plan - one of the main blocks of the European Green Deal, Europe's new agenda for sustainable growth.
In short, the Swedish Forest Industries input on the Circular Economy Action plan:
- Acknowledge the high level of circularity of renewable fiber-based materials. Secure that obstacles are not created for such materials, when introducing policy targeted at other types of materials lagging behind on circularity.
- Refrain from setting uniform targets on reduced use of primary resources. Instead, any such targets must be appropriate for each value chain. Furthermore, focus on keeping finite fossil resources in the ground.
- Refrain from introducing a mandatory recycled content for a product to be sustainable,
- as there is no one-size-fits-all solution.
- Refrain from applying the Product Environmental Footprint methodology in policy until it has been further developed.
- Emphasize the role of the European forest-based industries in building a resilient EU economy.
- Refrain from applying simplified concepts to define sustainable products. Instead, secure tailor-made product category criteria.
- Acknowledge the positive climate effect from building in wood.
- Emphasize the potential of sustainably sourced renewable raw materials in the circular economy and endorse that market-based solutions over time creates the highest efficiency levels.
