UPM Raflatac and WWF Poland have renewed their contract to build a smarter future beyond fossils together. During the new three-year contract period the collaboration will focus on enabling the development of circular economy and promoting privately protected areas, especially wetlands in Poland. The three-year contract will also involve UPM Raflatac's internal and external stakeholders to increase engagement and support for these two important initiatives given the challenges we are facing today. “As part of the packaging value chain, we are constantly looking for ways to promote circular economy not only through our product and service offering, but also through collaboration. We are also committed to climate-positive forestry and enhancing biodiversity as well as sharing our expertise and assets with the communities in which we operate,” says Vera Bartsch, Director of Sustainability Development, UPM Raflatac.

An estimated 32% of all plastic ends up being dumped after just one use, reveals the 2016 New Plastics Economy report. The EU ban on single-use plastics will take effect in 2021. New, tougher requirements will also be introduced for producers of other plastic product categories. “The much-touted new legislation on single-use plastic products will not solve the huge recycling dilemma. Plastics are already a highly regulated product group. They have to be produced using REACH-compliant chemicals, and there is a staggering amount of legislation on recycling. If the EU directives on packaging were fully implemented in all European countries, there would be no need to dump any plastic at all at landfills,” says Vesa Kärhä, CEO of the Finnish Plastics Industries Federation. In Finland, the collection and recycling of consumer plastics is off to a slow start, but gradually catching up with Europe’s leaders, Switzerland and Sweden. “When you look at Europe’s leading recyclers, they have all observed a total ban on landfilling for a long time. In other words, they have totally outlawed a cheap landfill solution. The European plastic industry recommends the same, too. Naturally, it has to be carried out in a way that gives operators enough time to figure out what can be done about the issue. Recycling and energy plants have to be available,” Kärhä notes.

Recycling your old electronics is about to become easier than ever. Best Buy is introducing a new nationwide, easy-to-use program that allows you to recycle all your old tech – by mail! Starting this month, you can order a prepaid Best Buy Technology Recycling Box and ship off your old electronics for recycling. Through the service, we will give your tech a second life or recycle it responsibly to protect the environment. “We continue to build on our commitment to be there for our customers throughout the entire lifecycle of their products by making recycling simple and convenient,” said Tim Dunn, Best Buy’s head of environmental sustainability. “Sustainability is at the forefront of everything we do and this new service is another step we are taking to protect the planet today and for future generations.”