EU momentum grows for binding reuse targets

December 3, 2025

New RREUSE report reinforces ETIRA’s call for separate reuse targets for printer cartridges

The European policy landscape is shifting in favour of reuse. A major new report from RREUSE, Targets for Reuse and Preparing for Reuse in the European Union, provides strong evidence that Europe needs separate, binding reuse targets across key product streams. This includes WEEE items such as printer cartridges, where the absence of dedicated reuse targets continues to undermine the waste hierarchy.

For ETIRA, the findings confirm what we have long argued. Recycling-only targets disadvantage reuse, create perverse incentives, and prevent the EU from capturing the environmental and social benefits of remanufacturing. With over 100 million toner cartridges collected each year in Europe, the introduction of cartridge-specific reuse and preparing-for-reuse targets is realistic, measurable, and urgently needed.

RREUSE findings validate ETIRA’s longstanding concerns

The RREUSE report makes several key points that directly support ETIRA’s policy position:

1. Combined reuse and recycling targets do not work
   The report notes that mixed targets incentivise recycling at the expense of reuse. This contradicts the waste hierarchy, which places preparing for reuse above recycling. RREUSE therefore calls for separate targets across all major product streams including WEEE.
2. WEEE reuse remains neglected
   Despite years of discussion, the WEEE Directive still does not include dedicated reuse targets. RREUSE highlights the structural issue: EPR schemes tend to focus on recycling because it is easier and cheaper, leaving reuse operators underfunded and with limited access to the waste stream. For printer cartridges, this problem is acute and long recognised by ETIRA.
3. Evidence from Member States shows reuse targets are feasible
   Flanders, France, the Netherlands, Ireland and others have already introduced reuse targets at regional or national level. Their experience shows that targets improve access to reusable goods, attract investment in reuse infrastructure, and deliver measurable climate benefits.
4. Reuse delivers major environmental and social gains
   The report links reuse to significant reductions in CO₂ emissions and strong job creation potential, especially when implemented by social enterprises. These benefits apply equally to cartridge remanufacturing, which offers both carbon savings and local employment.

A shifting political environment

The publication comes at a moment of wider political momentum. In its 26 November 2025 resolution on unsafe and illegal products circulating on online marketplaces, the European Parliament demanded stronger and faster enforcement, including temporary suspension of non-compliant platforms in cases of repeated or systemic breaches.

This is directly relevant to the printer cartridge market. Non-EU sellers who disregard EU rules distort competition and undermine legitimate reuse operators. ETIRA therefore supports the Parliament’s call for decisive action, including coordinated EU enforcement and stronger obligations for platforms that place products on the market.

What this means for remanufactured printer cartridges

Printer cartridges have long been recognised by the Commission and the Parliament as priority consumables with high reuse value. Yet:

• There is no separate reuse or preparing-for-reuse target for cartridges under WEEE
• EPR schemes focus heavily on recycling rather than reuse
• Non-compliant imports continue to undermine legitimate EU operators
• Reuse data for cartridges is not adequately captured

The RREUSE report strengthens the argument that these gaps must be closed in the forthcoming review of the WEEE Directive.

ETIRA’s position

ETIRA calls on the European Commission to take the following steps within the upcoming legislative cycle:

1. Introduce separate reuse and preparing-for-reuse targets for printer cartridges under the revised WEEE Directive.
2. Require EPR schemes to finance preparing-for-reuse activities, not only recycling, in line with the waste hierarchy.
3. Guarantee access to reusable cartridges for accredited reuse operators across Europe.
4. Strengthen monitoring and reporting to ensure that cartridge reuse is measured accurately and consistently.
5. Ensure consistent EU-level enforcement against non-compliant imports and platforms offering illegal or dangerous products.

These measures would deliver meaningful environmental gains, support the circular economy, and protect consumers while strengthening the legitimate remanufacturing industry.

Next steps

ETIRA will use the findings from the RREUSE report in its ongoing dialogue with DG Environment, the European Parliament, and national authorities. As the WEEE review progresses, ETIRA will advocate for cartridge-specific reuse targets as a practical and effective way to raise circularity and reduce waste across Europe.