At the halfway point of the German Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Verpackung + Umwelt e. V. (AGVU) is calling for significantly stronger political initiatives in the area of the environment and recycling.
Among other things, the AGVU misses a debate on the so-called "EU plastic tax". This tax to be paid by EU member states on non-recycled plastic waste was introduced in July 2020.
decided. However, there is no agreed Europe-wide standardised mechanism that is capable of triggering investments.
"The aim must be to maximise plastics recycling in Europe. Europe needs standardised framework conditions for more recyclable products, for better processing technology and for the use of recycled materials. A patchwork of national regulations, which will be exacerbated by the so-called EU plastic tax, is not helpful." Dr. Carl Dominik Klepper, AGVU Chairwoman
Dr Martin Engelmann, Managing Director of the IK Industrievereinigung Kunststoffverpackungen e.V., is also in favour of this in a packaging journal interviewthat the requirements should be implemented uniformly throughout Europe.
AGVU calls for a Europe-wide debate
In order to give the circular economy in Europe a sustainable boost, further adjustments need to be made. This is what the AGVU demands in a recent statement. At the moment, the Use of recycled materials in packaging falls short of expectations. Recyclates do save considerable amounts of CO2 emissions. However, given the low prices for virgin plastic, they are often not yet profitable. According to the AGVU, one way of counteracting this would be to make the use of recycled plastics in products mandatory to a certain extent. Although the EU Commission is considering such steps, it has not yet presented any plans.
"The German Council Presidency must now launch a Europe-wide debate on how Plastic recycling material to be utilised much more can," demands Klepper. With the Council Presidency, the German government has the opportunity to set its own priorities and priorities. In addition to decarbonising the European economy, accelerating the expansion of the circular economy also offers further opportunities. One option, for example, is long-term technological leadership in the field of packaging and recycling technology. This could make the circular economy a new pillar of value creation in Europe. Germany, in particular, should build on its experience as a "pioneer" in this field and use its Council Presidency to provide widely recognisable impetus.
[infotext icon]Die AGVU engagiert sich seit 1986 für die Produktverantwortung bei Verpackungen. Sie setzt sich für eine umweltgerechte und ressourcenschonende Nutzung und Verwertung ein. Der Verband repräsentiert die gesamte Wertschöpfungskette: von der Verpackungsindustrie über die Konsumgüterwirtschaft und den Handel bis hin zu den dualen Systemen, Entsorgern und Verwertern.[/infotext]
