Positive developments in packaging regulation

On 24 October, the European Parliament's Environment Committee adopted its position on the proposal of the EU Packaging Regulation adopted. The aim of the initiative is to, Design packaging to be as reusable and recyclable as possible. From 2023, only recyclable packaging should be available on the EU market. Among other things, the „design for recycling“ of the various packaging categories is to be defined in subsequent delegated acts in accordance with the proposed regulation. There are also plans for a Categorisation of recyclability in five classes (A to E). From the association's point of view, prioritising mechanical recycling is essential to ensure that changes are actually made to the packaging design.

A positive assessment of the BDE that the Environment Committee ultimately decided against a Explicit right of first access to recyclates for packaging manufacturers has spoken out in favour of this. However, the association is critical of the Environment Committee's call for „safe and equal access“ to recyclates so that the „quality for similar applications“ is maintained. In the association's view, it is unclear what is meant by „safe and equal access“ and how these two demands are to be reconciled.

In the view of the BDE, it is necessary to correct the fact that the committee members No general exemption for the obligation to use reusable packaging The company has also included a life cycle assessment for cases in which the use of easily recyclable disposable packaging is the better option from an environmental perspective. This is likely to be the case for many types of transport packaging in particular. The association also regrets that its Demand for mandatory designation of extended producer responsibility schemes by manufacturers for the disposal of packaging waste generated in private households not enforced could.

On the other hand, the association agrees that the Environmental Committee has rejected the idea of a „credit system“, which has since come up. The idea was that manufacturers could also fulfil the minimum recyclate usage quotas by acquiring credits from manufacturers of other products of the same polymer type that exceed the quotas. In the Environment Committee's report, recyclate use now refers to each packaging format of a manufacturer's production facility, calculated over one year.

„It is pleasing that the MEPs on the Environment Committee have provided clarity on important points in their report. This includes, in particular, their explicit statement that in future, the recycling-orientated design of plastic packaging will be based primarily on mechanical - and not chemical - recycling. If you also consider that the MEPs have averted the packaging manufacturers“ right of first access to recyclates pushed for by interested parties and also the idea of credit trading for recyclates that emerged shortly before the vote, you really realise the scope of the report now before you. I can therefore encourage the plenary of the EU Parliament and the Council to continue along the path they have embarked upon and to bring it to a speedy conclusion with a view to the approaching end of the legislative period. However, exceptions should still be made for reusable packaging. This is the only way we can ensure that packaging is recycled on a large scale in EU countries in the future."

Peter Kurth, BDE President

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Source: BDE