Events

Zero Waste Scotland and Scotland Europa are delighted to invite you to a panel discussion taking place in Scotland House Brussels on Thursday 16 November, at 16:00 CET, to kick off European Week of Waste Reduction.

It is increasingly clear that single-use packaging, both plastics and paper-based alternatives, are driving environmental harm and perpetuating a throwaway culture. We cannot simply recycle our way out of this crisis, but rather we need to invest and innovate to create workable solutions for the packaging sector.

Against the backdrop of both Scotland and the EU's ambitious targets for reaching net zero and creating a circular economy, we are excited to convene a panel of change-makers from business, policy, and citizen groups working in Scotland, and across the EU.

In this panel we will engage in discussions on the current challenges posed by single-use packaging and discover successful examples of business models and interventions that are helping to address the packaging crisis. We will delve into the complexities of transitioning to a re-use system, gaining a comprehensive understanding of both the opportunities and challenges. Together, we'll explore the interventions and incentives needed to drive a paradigm shift towards a system of reusable packaging.

Speakers include –

• Stuart Chidley, Co-founder of Beauty Kitchen, a pioneering company that delivered one of the first re-usable packaging solutions for the cosmetics industry.
• Aline Maigret, Head of Policy at Zero Waste Europe, the European network of communities, local leaders, experts, and change agents working towards the elimination of waste.
• Sarah Risch - Policy Advisor at OVAM (Public Waste Agency of Flanders, who are responsible for Waste and Sustainable Material Management in Flanders.
• Alison McKinnie, Policy Analyst at Zero Waste Scotland, Scotland’s circular economy experts, leading the nation to use products and resources more responsibly.

The event will be moderated by Ray Georgeson, Head of Policy at Zero Waste Scotland.

Registration begins from 15:30, with the panel discussion taking place from 16:00 – 17:30. The panel will be followed by a networking reception, from 17:30 – 19:00.

Please register for this event via this link.