10 months after the Packaging Act came into force on 1 January 2019, the Central Agency Packaging Register (ZSVR) has drawn an initial positive interim balance. The number of registrations in the LUCID packaging register has tripled since the end of 2018.
Despite the high time pressure since the law was published in July 2017, all milestones have been reached on schedule - most recently with the publication of the Minimum standards for assessing the recyclable design of packaging 1 September 2019. Degree of system participation has already increased in the paper/cardboard and glass material groups. However, there is still room for improvement.
„System participation in the area of lightweight packaging is not yet at a satisfactory level. We can see from the almost 60,000 enquiries that have been answered how high the level of ignorance in the economy is, even after 25 years of product responsibility. In future, we will consistently demand that companies fulfil their own responsibility,“ says Gunda Rachut, Chairman of the Central Agency Packaging Register Foundation.
The Central Agency has published a catalogue of packaging subject to system participation, which for the first time contains the System participation obligation for packaging in the form of an administrative regulation. Unfortunately, not all companies fulfil their obligations.
However, the goal of making packaging more recyclable has been realised in industry and retail. The updated minimum standard for measuring the recyclability of packaging published on 1 September 2019 is already having an impact. more far-reaching than originally intended by the law. Retail companies require their packaging suppliers to ensure that the packaging supplied fully complies with the requirements of the minimum standard.
„This goes much further than the legislator had planned and puts pressure on packaging manufacturers to change their packaging as quickly as possible. It is important to maintain the innovative strength of the packaging industry in order to come as close as possible to the objectives of the Packaging Act - avoidance and recycling“, so Gunda Rachut.
Central Agency Packaging Register
[infotext icon]The Central Agency Packaging Register Foundation is based in Osnabrück. Its founders are the Federation of German Food and Drink Industries (BVE), the German Retail Association (HDE), the IK Industrievereinigung Kunststoffverpackungen and the Markenverband. Since the Packaging Act came into force on 1 January 2019, the ZSVR has acted as an entrusted authority to ensure greater transparency and control in packaging recycling. To this end, it maintains a packaging register of all legally obliged companies from industry and trade, compares quantities from manufacturers and systems and ensures more recycling-friendly packaging design with standards[/infotext].
