The European Parliament will start negotiations with member states on the final content of the Directive, which will regulate environmental or green energy labels, given that half of the 230 such labels that exist at the level of the European Union do not have reliable verification, so they could be lying.

In this context, the conference “Sustainable Every Day” was held, organized by the ENVIRON Association in partnership with Eco Synergy, where the emphasis was placed on sustainable solutions for business and lifestyle as a response to the challenges of the moment, both from the point of view of concern about the phenomenon of “greenwashing”, and accelerated pollution by waste electrical and electronic equipment (DEEE).

The discussion of the Environmental Declarations Directive was backed up with figures and examples by Miriam Theimann of the European Environment Agency, who showed the most common vague expressions open to interpretation on these labels (“eco-friendly”, “natural”, “biodegradable”, “climate neutral” , “eco”) and which the new Directive will prohibit unless they are 100% real and valid for all components/ingredients of the product.

Measures against “premature aging of the product”

The Environmental Declarations Directive will also eliminate other problems, such as the premature aging of products (many of which fail immediately after the end of the warranty) or the fact that some components can only be replaced with spare parts from the same manufacturer – as is the case, for example, with chargers devices or printer cartridges, which can cost almost as much as the product itself.

Next: Many people prefer to buy a new product, which also leads to the suffocation of the environment with waste electrical and electronic equipment.

The numbers don’t lie: about 50 million tons of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) are generated annually, which is about 7 kg per person. It is also the fastest growing type of waste worldwide. This is a serious matter, if we take into account that worldwide only 20% of generated waste is subject to responsible disposal and recycling. In Europe, things are slightly better, with the percentage reaching 49% (but the target is 65%), while Romania is still well below this average (barely approaching 30%).

Why is less processed in Romania?

Roxana Puia, marketing manager of the ENVIRON association, says it’s about education, that Romanians have been taught to expect rewards when they recycle.

“We expect to be rewarded, rewarded, applauded, instead of seeing recycling as a normal activity for a responsible person who is aware of the impact they have on the environment. It’s important to change from conviction, to do it because we know it’s the right thing to do, and we know how much it will hurt if we don’t, both for us and for those who come after us,” she added. Roxanne Pouya, who added that “ChatGPT cannot force us to recycle properly or look for collection points; this requires awareness, that is, education and responsibility.” (photo: Harperdrewart, Dreamstime.com)