R2R Input for Circular Economy Act

Publication date: November 2025
Resource added: 6 November 2025

A truly circular economy starts long before recycling, it begins by keeping products in use for as long as possible. The European Commission must ensure that the Circular Economy Act is fully aligned with the waste hierarchy, prioritising waste prevention over waste management:
– Harmonise and reshape Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes through revisions of the Waste Framework Directive and WEEE Directive to focus on reuse and repair before recycling.
– Set binding reuse and repair targets, ensuring that EU policies deliver tangible waste prevention outcomes.
– Require Member States to integrate repair and reuse infrastructure and services into national waste prevention plans.
– Mandate sorting by a qualified professional to assess reusability before recycling for every collected used device or e-waste item.
– Rely on a legal basis covering not only article 114 (internal market) but also an appropriate environmental article.