Greek industrialists call on government to adopt circular economy practices

"The closure of a cycle of painful sacrifices for all Greek people and businesses must not make us carefree, attempting a return to the practices of the past that have led us to bankruptcy through the expansion of the State and the loss of international competitiveness of the economy," the union said in its weekly bulletin of economic developments dedicated to the circular economy. 
"In this context, the change of growth model and mentality and the adoption of new trends, such as that of the circular economy, remains a challenge in 2018," it added. 
The circular economy covers the full lifecycle of products- from production and consumption to waste management and the market for secondary raw materials- aiming to use resources in a more sustainable way.
SEV said the government said its National Priorities for the circular economy will soon be finalized, but noted they will have to be extensively debated with the market and directly supported by legislative interventions not only to remove existing barriers and rigidities, but also to create conditions capable of encouraging the private sector to take on the investment risk.
The union said Greece is  significantly lagging behind other EU countries in the adoption of circular economy models, citing the newly imposed charge on plastic bags mostly concerns recycling.