Latest news with #Remondis
Japan Today
6 days ago
- Politics
- Japan Today
Countries race for late breakthrough in deadlocked plastic pollution talks
FILE PHOTO: Piles of plastic trash are transported to be sorted at the waste sorting plant of recycling company Remondis in Erftstadt, Germany, August 12, 2025. REUTERS/Jana Rodenbusch/File Photo By Olivia Le Poidevin and Emma Farge Talks to create the world's first legally binding treaty to tackle plastic pollution hung in the balance late on Thursday as countries scrambled to bridge deep divisions over the extent of future curbs on a final day of negotiations in Geneva. Late Thursday night, countries awaited a new text which could be the basis for further negotiations after delegations who want an ambitious plastics treaty threw out the one proposed on Wednesday. States pushing for a comprehensive treaty, including Panama, Kenya, Britain and the European Union, shared frustration that key articles on the full life cycle of plastic pollution from the production of polymers to the disposal of waste, as well as the harm to health, had been removed entirely from the text. Oil-producing nations are against curbs on the production of virgin plastics derived from petroleum, coal, and gas, while others want it to be limited and to have stricter controls over plastic products and hazardous chemicals. "It's proving unlikely all countries will be able to bridge their differences," said Zaynab Sadan of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), adding that agreement was as far away as it had ever been in nearly three years of talks. "A treaty that covers the full life cycle of plastics and can evolve with science is a vital step. A weak, static agreement serves no one," EU Commissioner Jessika Roswall said in a statement. "The next few hours will show whether we can rise to the moment," she added. Panama described Wednesday's draft text as "repulsive" and called for a complete rewrite. Saudi Arabia, which is resisting major curbs, said nothing could be agreed until the treaty's scope is clearly defined. More than 1,000 delegates have gathered in Geneva for the sixth round of talks, after a meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) in South Korea late last year ended without a deal. On Thursday, advocacy groups held a banner and chanted urging against a "weak treaty" as they waited for delegates to arrive in the U.N. plenary hall in Geneva for further discussions. The OECD warns that without intervention, plastic production will triple by 2060, further choking oceans, harming health, and exacerbating climate change. "It will be very important to spend every single hour of the last day of negotiation finding a good text that can deliver on the promise to end plastic pollution," said Giulia Carlini, a Senior Attorney for the Environmental Health Program of the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL). COMPROMISE Norwegian Minister of Climate and Environment Andreas Bjelland Eriksen, co-chair of the High Ambition Countries group, told Reuters that all parties need to compromise. "We are willing to discuss all articles, three, six, for example, to be able to create the package that can be good enough for everyone," he said, pointing to potential openness to re-discussing restrictions on chemicals and production. "We're optimistic ... We think this can be really good for our industry, society, and for the environment," Ross Eisenberg, president of America's Plastic Makers, which is part of the American Chemistry Council, told Reuters. The Council, which supports a deal without limits on plastic production, warned that the U.S. might not ratify a treaty containing provisions to ban chemicals or restrict plastic production. However, Colombian lawmaker Juan Carlos Lozada urged that no deal would be better than a watered-down deal. Some 300 businesses, including Unilever, have pressed for an ambitious treaty that harmonizes rules globally. "If we don't get that degree of harmonization, we risk further fragmentation ... and higher costs," Ed Shepherd, senior global sustainability manager at Unilever, told Reuters. © Thomson Reuters 2025.
Straits Times
6 days ago
- General
- Straits Times
Countries race for late breakthrough in deadlocked plastic pollution talks
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox FILE PHOTO: Piles of plastic trash are transported to be sorted at the waste sorting plant of recycling company Remondis in Erftstadt, Germany, August 12, 2025. REUTERS/Jana Rodenbusch/File Photo GENEVA - Talks to create the world's first legally binding treaty to tackle plastic pollution are at risk of ending without a deal as countries race to find a potential compromise on the final day of negotiations in Geneva. Talks headed into their final hours on Thursday after countries who want an ambitious plastics treaty threw out the text proposed on Wednesday. States pushing for a comprehensive treaty, including Panama, Kenya, France and Britain, shared frustration that key articles on the full life cycle of plastic pollution from the production of polymers to the disposal of waste, as well as the harm to health, had been removed entirely from the text. Oil-producing nations are against curbs on the production of virgin plastics derived from petroleum, coal, and gas, while others want it to be limited and to have stricter controls over plastic products and hazardous chemicals. "It's proving unlikely all countries will be able to bridge their differences," said Zaynab Sadan of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), adding that agreement was as far away as it had ever been in nearly three years of talks. Panama described the new draft text as "repulsive" and called for a complete rewrite. Saudi Arabia, which is resisting major curbs, said nothing could be agreed until the treaty's scope is clearly defined. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Jalan Bukit Merah fire: PMD battery could have started fatal blaze, says SCDF Singapore askST: What to do in the event of a fire at home? Singapore 4 housebreaking suspects taken to Bukit Timah crime scene under police escort Asia AirAsia flight from KL to Incheon lands at the wrong airport in South Korea Singapore Reformative training for teen who cheated man of $47k Rolex watch on former stepdad's instructions Opinion Could telco consolidation spell the end of attractive mobile plans? Asia Strong India-Singapore ties key to economic growth amid 'volatile landscape': DPM Gan Asia Citizenship for foreign talent: How this footballer from Brazil became Vietnam's favourite 'Son' More than 1,000 delegates have gathered in Geneva for the sixth round of talks, after a meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) in South Korea late last year ended without a deal. The OECD warns that without intervention, plastic production will triple by 2060, further choking oceans, harming health, and exacerbating climate change. "It will be very important to spend every single hour of the last day of negotiation finding a good text that can deliver on the promise to end plastic pollution," said Giulia Carlini, a Senior Attorney for the Environmental Health Program of the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL). COMPROMISE Norwegian Minister of Climate and Environment Andreas Bjelland Eriksen, co-chair of the High Ambition Countries group, told Reuters that all parties need to compromise. "We are willing to discuss all articles, three, six, for example, to be able to create the package that can be good enough for everyone," he said, pointing to potential openness to re-discussing restrictions on chemicals and production. "We're optimistic ... We think this can be really good for our industry, society, and for the environment," Ross Eisenberg, president of America's Plastic Makers, which is part of the American Chemistry Council, told Reuters. The Council, which supports a deal without limits on plastic production, warned that the U.S. might not ratify a treaty containing provisions to ban chemicals or restrict plastic production. However, Colombian lawmaker Juan Carlos Loazada urged that no deal would be better than a watered down deal. Some 300 businesses, including Unilever, have pressed for an ambitious treaty that harmonizes rules globally. "If we don't get that degree of harmonization, we risk further fragmentation ... and higher costs," Ed Shepherd, Senior Global Sustainability Manager at Unilever, told Reuters. REUTERS
West Australian
29-07-2025
- Business
- West Australian
The right time for sustainable credibility
As environmental concerns increasingly shape consumer expectations, brands are under pressure to prove their sustainability credentials. Recognising this shift, Kitchen Warehouse turned a troubling statistic – 2.5 million pots and pans are discarded in Australian landfills every year – into a strategic opportunity with the launch of its 'Great Pan Exchange' initiative. The program, launched in partnership with global recycling leader Remondis and cookware brand Tefal, offers a simple but effective solution: bring your old cookware to any Kitchen Warehouse store and receive a discount on a new, longer-lasting Tefal product. The scheme accepts all pots and pans, including those with non-stick surfaces, safely separating, baling and recycling metals, woods and plastics. In just a few months, over 3.2 tonnes of cookware have been collected, translating to thousands of extra customer visits to Kitchen Warehouse stores nationwide. For business leaders and marketers, the success of this initiative provides a simple learning: sustainability, when integrated meaningfully, can be a powerful driver of consumer behaviour. It can also enhance brand reputation, brand loyalty, provide differentiation in a competitive market and build consumer trust. It also delivers measurable environmental impact. In today's marketplace, sustainability is no longer a 'nice-to-have'; it is a business imperative that savvy marketers can leverage to build stronger, more authentic connections with their audience. If companies aren't already thinking creatively about sustainability, not just as a marketing tool, but as a driver of long-term growth, then now is the perfect time to start.
Local Germany
17-04-2025
- Business
- Local Germany
Waste piles up in North Rhine-Westphalia as refuse collectors go on strike
Strikes in the public sector may be over , but at Remondis - a private company that provides waste management services for a number of municipalities in western Germany - industrial actions continue. Workers at the Remondis branch in Essen were called to strike by the Verdi trade union since Monday. Yellow bins that have not been emptied in the city will remain full through Easter and into next week. "Subsequent emptying cannot take place due to the upcoming holidays," the waste management company announced, according to a report in Der Westen. Residents whose plastic and food container trash will have piled up considerably by next week are advised to put any extra waste in the standard transparent waste bags and leave them next to their bins to be picked up at the next scheduled collection. Which cities and towns are affected? Beyond Essen, Remondis also serves surrounding regions in North Rhine-Westphalia as well as parts of the Ruhr region and the Rhineland. Rubbish bins in Westphalia-Lippe have also been left uncollected this week, and in the district of Olpe. Wolfgang Wilmes from Olpe told WDR that his garbage has not been picked up for four weeks. He says he has no choice but to let the garbage pile up and hold his nose when passing by the bins. Disruptions are also reported in Münsterland, the district of Coesfeld, the city of Münster, and the district of Steinfurt. Advertisement In other regions, service disruptions are felt in paper recycling or organic waste collection services. In the Siegen-Wittgenstein district, paper collection is paused in Wilnsdorf. In Freudenberg and Kreuztal, the biowaste remains. In the Hochsauerland, all waste collection has been stopped in Schmallenberg. Some Remondis recycling centres are also closed. But as a precautionary measure, Remondis has reportedly collected waste from certain commercial businesses on Tuesday. READ ALSO: Why you'll have to take more care sorting your biowaste in Germany from May Why are Remondis workers striking? As part of ongoing collective bargaining negotiations, the Verdi trade union is demanding a nine percent salary raise, or at least €350 more in monthly salaries for employees as well as €200 more per year of training for trainees. These demands mirror those of many groups of public sector, transport and postal workers that also recently engaged in warning strikes led by Verdi. On Wednesday, hundreds of garbage workers rallied in Oberhausen. Remondis criticised the decision to strike in a statement, suggesting it comes "entirely at the expense of citizens and traders in the affected regions." Of course, some residents who have been left with piles of stinking garbage over the holiday weekend may also have a hard time finding sympathy for the cause. "I can understand the garbage men and women to a certain extent, but on the other hand for us as a family, it's totally stupid that the garbage is left lying around," a resident from Altenberge told WDR .
