The trade magazine for the packaging industry
The trade magazine for the packaging industry
According to IK Industrievereinigung Kunststoffverpackungen e.V., German manufacturers of plastic packaging are disappointed with the EU Commission's new rules on the use of recycled plastics in food packaging. They are pushing for food packaging to be excluded from the planned quotas for the use of recycled materials.
"The high expectations for the use of recycled plastics in food packaging have been dampened by the new regulation," explains Dr Martin Engelmann, Managing Director of the IK Industrievereinigung Kunststoffverpackungen e.V. It is positive that the proven and safe use of recycled PET plastics will also be possible in the future. However the Commission must now fulfil its announcement and swiftly approve the more than 270 recycling processes that have now been assessed as safe throughout Europe. So far, national authorisations have applied here. It is also true that recyclates obtained from production waste in the manufacture of food packaging can be reused in food packaging.
"Unlike in the past, however, extensive and often bureaucratic requirements now apply to the use of so-called post-industrial recyclates. At GKV, we are currently preparing a guideline for the industry that should bring clarity, especially for the many small and medium-sized manufacturers."
Dr Martin EngelmannManaging Director of the IK Industrievereinigung Kunststoffverpackungen e.V.
Manufacturers criticise the complex and very long approval process for previously unauthorised recycling processes. "The Commission has failed to create a perspective for other waste streams, e.g. PET from the Yellow Bag, applications such as functional barriers and solvent-based recycling technologies, that they can expect authorisation in the medium term," criticises Engelmann, pointing out that the authorisation procedure can take up to seven years and is not practical for SMEs.
"Food packaging made from recycled plastics is safe because it is already strictly regulated and monitored," says Engelmann. In the case of recycling PET from drinks bottles, we would therefore have expected things to be easier based on our many years of experience. The new rules would set disproportionately high requirements for the safety of recyclates other than those made from PET bottles.
"The new rules will initially make the use of recyclates more difficult rather than more favourable. In any case, they are not a basis for setting binding quotas for the use of recyclates in plastic food packaging, because it is not at all clear which recycled plastics other than PET bottles will fulfil the high requirements in the future", says Engelmann. Comparable and realistic regulations are now also needed for other packaging materials in order to increase consumer safety and create a level playing field in the internal market.
SourceIK Industrievereinigung Kunststoffverpackungen e.V.
Eurostat meldet steigende Kunststoff-Recyclingquoten in der EU – Deutschland bleibt mit 52 Prozent über dem Durchschnitt. Einige Mitgliedstaaten drohen jedoch, das EU-Ziel für 2025 klar zu verfehlen.
The European packaging world is meeting again in Nuremberg for Fachpack. How do the industry associations assess the current economic situation, what worries their member companies and are there any rays of hope?
From 5 to 14 August, more than 170 countries are negotiating a legally binding global agreement to combat plastic pollution in Geneva. The agreement could also have far-reaching consequences for manufacturers and processors of plastic packaging in Germany. Industry associations such as IK, GKV and Plastics Europe are calling for international standards, but warn against overly rigid production restrictions.
Manufacturers of plastic packaging and films in Germany expect their situation to stabilise cautiously in the third quarter of 2025. This is shown by the latest economic survey by the IK Industrievereinigung Kunststoffverpackungen. After a weak start to the year, industry sentiment is improving - but the challenges remain great.
Deposit systems are not the same everywhere in Europe and there is a lack of uniform standards. However, at least 90 per cent of single-use plastic bottles and metal cans must be collected in all member states by the beginning of 2029.
The IK Industrievereinigung Kunststoffverpackungen welcomes the EU Commission's new internal market strategy - but calls for more speed and clarity in the harmonisation of packaging regulations.