Packaging waste places a heavy burden on the environment. With an average of 178 kilograms of packaging waste per inhabitant in the European Union, and as much as 215 kilograms in Germany, there is an urgent need for action. The new EU Packaging Regulation aims to reduce this waste and strengthen the circular economy. The Circular Valley Foundation welcomes these steps, but sees challenges in practical implementation, particularly for smaller businesses in cross-border trade.
The new regulation by the European Union sets clear targets: packaging waste is to be avoided, reuse is to be strengthened and packaging is to be made more recyclable. Dr Carsten Gerhardt, Chairman of the Circular Valley Foundation, emphasises the importance of these measures. For instance, limiting empty space in secondary and transport packaging not only reduces material consumption, but also lessens the disposal effort for consumers.
Challenges for small businesses
The implementation of the regulation presents challenges in particular for small and medium-sized enterprises. Different administrative requirements in the EU member states, registrations and the appointment of authorised representatives can mean a considerable additional workload for these companies. Especially for small traders, manufacturers or direct shippers, this can quickly become a disproportionate hurdle.
One approach could lie in standardised packaging types for cross-border shipping. After all, the fundamental requirements for shipping packaging are comparable in many cases: it must protect the product against moisture, light or shocks, for example. Not every small company should have to develop its own solutions for this and work its way through complex requirements in each individual market.
Collaboration between politics and business
At the same time, the Circular Valley Foundation sees this as a task for cooperation between politics and business: What requirements do the new rules actually impose on small and medium-sized enterprises? Where are the biggest hurdles in cross-border trade? And which standardised packaging solutions could reduce these hurdles?
„The new packaging regulation should not be seen as a conflict between the environment and the economy. Its aim is to make packaging more resource-efficient and circular. This is in the interest of the environment, businesses and consumers. What matters now is designing the implementation so that it fulfils its ecological ambitions while remaining practicable for businesses.“
Dr Carsten Gerhardt, Chairman of the Circular Valley Foundation
Source: Circular Valley
