A sweeping strategy to boost reuse, repair, and recycling across a multitude of consumer products has been unveiled by the European Commission this week, with stricter rules planned for food, plastics, textiles, construction, and electronics in a bid to cut down on waste and pollution.

The Circular Economy Action Plan, which would need to be approved by member states and MEPs before it is adopted, is aimed at "making sustainable products the norm", paving the way for a raft of new legislation governing specific consumer products and appliances, the Commission announced yesterday.

It focuses on ensuring products placed on the EU market are designed to last longer, are easier to reuse, repair, and recycle, and incorporate as much recycled material as possible rather than being made from primary raw materials, the Commission explained.

The Action Plan also aims to restrict single-use products and packaging, halt shipments of waste outside the EU, ban the destruction of unsold durable goods, provide consumers with more reliable information on the sustainability of products and packaging, and offer stronger 'right to repair' rules.

The Commission said the strategy formed "one of the main building blocks" of its proposed European Green Deal, through which it is developing a raft of policies and measures designed to help the EU become the world's first net zero continent by 2050.

It comes hot on the heels of the EU Industrial Strategy, which was unveiled earlier this week by the Commission and promises a package of measures to decarbonise energy intensive industries, boost green transport, and halt the relocation of heavy emitters to regions with more lax green regulations. If adopted, the Circular Economy Action Plan would form part of the new Industrial Strategy.

Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal Frans Timmermans said the EU needed a "fully circular economy" if it was to build a climate neutral economy by 2050, preserve the natural environment, and strengthen economic competitiveness.

"Today, our economy is still mostly linear, with only 12 per cent of secondary materials and resources being brought back into the economy," he said. "Many products break down too easily, cannot be reused, repaired or recycled, or are made for single use only. There is a huge potential to be exploited both for businesses and consumers."

The Action Plan, he argued, would help to "transform the way products are made and empower consumers to make sustainable choices for their own benefit and that of the environment", while also building a thriving market for more sustainable products, appliances, and materials.

Creating a circular economy across the EU would have a net positive benefit on economic growth and job creation, the Commission said, estimating it could boost the continent's GDP by 0.5 per cent by 2030 while also creating around 700,000 new jobs.

The strategy focuses in particular on sectors that use the most resources "and where the potential for circularity is high", according to the Commission, which plans to draw up sector-specific waste action plans for food, textiles, construction, electricals and ITC, and batteries and vehicles.

Mandatory requirements on what types of packaging are allowed on the EU market, and minimum thresholds for recycled content in plastics, as well as for bio-based and biodegradable plastics, are also being drawn up as part of the Action Plan. In addition, single-use food packaging and utensils are set to face stronger restrictions, the Commission said.

Altogether, the wide-ranging the package of circular economy measures aim to reward manufacturers of products based on their sustainability performance, and to embed 'right to repair' principles in EU consumer and product policies by 2021, according to the Action Plan.

Both environmental groups and green businesses alike broadly welcomed the Circular Economy Action Plan. Ursula Woodburn, head of EU relations at the European Corporate Leaders Group - members of which include major brands such as Unilever, Coca-Cola, EDF, IKEA, Sky and Tesco - said it signalled the Commission recognised the environmental, climate, consumer, and business benefits of developing stronger circular economy rules.

"From primary materials to microplastics, it is clear we need to go big on circularity to ensure substantial measures are taken to tackle environmental degradation and climate change," she said. "For business, the clarity of actions to be taken across all sectors and products is a hugely welcome advance and offers them confidence to step up to the plate."

Similarly, Doreen Fedrigo, climate and industry policy coordinator at Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe, said the Action Plan "goes a long way in setting out an agenda on sustainable products".

However, she emphasised the need for a strong link between circular economy rules and the EU's wider decarbonisation agenda, in order to ensure clear, joined-up thinking across the economy to deliver net zero before 2050.

"So far, emissions reduction is very narrowly focused on lower carbon energy sources such as electrification and hydrogen, and ignores the important contribution from product design and use of secondary raw materials," she said. "The European Commission states that half of total greenhouse gas emissions and more than 90 per cent of biodiversity loss and water stress come from resource extraction and processing of materials, fuels and food. Hence we need more focused policy that can deliver the whole potential of a fully circular economy."