The European Parliament has called for stricter limits on persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in waste, accepting the amendments to the Commission's revision of the POPs Regulation that were adopted by the Environment Committee at the end of March. "We cannot tolerate the presence of persistent organic pollutants in materials and waste, otherwise there will be no circular economy in the EU and no sustainable textiles, but an economy of toxic recycled products," said MEP Martin Hojsík, the rapporteur for the legislative project. The Parliament's position would help companies in the EU to operate more sustainably and "ensure that citizens can trust in recycled products", Mr Hojsík said.
The limit values laid out in the POP Regulation diverts some waste materials from recycling or other recovery processes to disposal, as materials containing levels of POPs that are too high must be destroyed or incinerated....
