dvi: Guidance paper on securing loading units
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The Edeka Group and its partner Budni have joined the Forum Rezyklat as one of the first major representatives from the food retail sector. The nature conservation organisation WWF is also the first NGO to join the forum with immediate effect.
The Forum Recyclate is an alliance of market players along the entire packaging value chain, from industry and retail to the waste disposal and recycling sector. The focus is on developing practical and consumer-oriented solutions for recyclable packaging. In addition, the use of recyclates - for example plastic granulate obtained from old packaging - in packaging is to be stepped up. The common goal is to increase the recycling rate and the proportion of recycled material in packaging: Instead of burning plastic after use or using it secondarily, for example as plastic furniture, it should be recycled wherever possible. are being recycled to an ever greater extent and reintegrated into the packaging cycle become.
„We are emphasising the importance of recyclates and recyclable packaging for the packaging strategy of our own brands and our goal of conserving resources. Recyclates are an important factor in reducing resource consumption and optimising packaging.“ Rolf Lange, Head of Corporate Communications at Edeka headquarters
Use of recyclate for own brands
Packaging avoidance and packaging optimisation have been important concerns in the Edeka-network. Edeka, Netto Marken-Discount and Budni are promoting the topic of recycling in a variety of ways: Optimising recyclability and using recycled materials where possible and sensible are the main keywords here. For example, the proportion of recycled material (rPET) in Edeka's Gut-und-Günstig 1.5-litre mineral water bottles will increase to 50% by the end of the year, while the bottle weight remains low. The target for the company's own washing, cleaning and detergent bottles is around 53 per cent, while the bottles of Respekt detergents and Blütezeit natural cosmetics are already made from 100 per cent recycled plastic.
Recycled material is also systematically used for own-brand items such as bin liners, household items and reusable carrier bags. For example, Edeka introduced the first recycled freezer carrier bag in 2016 and has already saved over 1,600 tonnes of new plastic since then. The bag also won the German Packaging Award in the sustainability category in 2021. Edeka, Netto and Budni are continuously working to further increase the proportion of recycled content in the packaging and products of their own brands.
WWF is the first NGO in the forum
The nature conservation organisation WWF is now also a member of the Recyclate Forum. The NGO has been committed to a circular system for packaging for years, including as part of its transformational collaboration with companies. The environmental organisation is also fighting nationally and internationally against the consequences of the packaging boom - for example, for a binding international agreement on plastic waste in the environment, against the unhindered entry of microplastics into the oceans and for the use of recycled materials from responsible sources for paper and cardboard.
Daniel Müsgens, Head of the Drugstore Programme at WWF Germany, says: „Plastic is a versatile material. But as packaging in particular, it has far too short a lifespan and is usually only used once. In Germany, more than half - 51 per cent - of all plastic packaging is still incinerated instead of being recycled. Almost 90 per cent of this packaging is produced from scratch - usually from fossil crude oil. In view of the climate crisis and polluted oceans, senseless burning is no longer an option. It is high time we left the throwaway society behind us. We look forward to working directly on solutions in the Recyclate Forum with representatives of the key industries responsible for a large proportion of packaging."
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