Each of us produces nearly half a ton of waste every year.

There's no magic way to make it disappear.

But thanks to your efforts we are recycling it so that it reappears in useful innovative ways.

Your efforts are working and we can go even further.

A quarter of material is still landfilled, and even more is burned or ends up in the ocean.

We all want to better use and reuse our precious resources.

So the EU has adopted new and improved rules:

- To help you separate waste even better - clarifying 'what goes where'.

- To help local businesses and authorities collect and recycle separated waste.

- To reduce harmful and wasteful landfill.

- To free the oceans of plastic and to protect marine life.

These changes will pay off, for the planet, for people, and for your pocket:

they will create new local jobs, and return resources to society.

Thanks to you we have gone a long way – together we can go even further. . .