{"id":81515,"date":"2023-06-13T10:37:46","date_gmt":"2023-06-13T08:37:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/packaging-journal.de\/?p=81515"},"modified":"2023-06-12T10:43:26","modified_gmt":"2023-06-12T08:43:26","slug":"stronger-circular-economy-with-european-green-deal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/packaging-journal.de\/en\/staerkere-kreislaufwirtschaft-mit-europaeischem-green-deal\/","title":{"rendered":"Stronger circular economy with European Green Deal"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Since November 2022 at the latest, the packaging industry has been intensively discussing the topic of sustainability and particularly recyclable packaging. Of course, this trending topic has been around for a long time and has become an integral part of any corporate strategy. However, the EU Commission's proposals for the Green Deal and the Packaging and Packaging Management Regulation (PPWR) have thrown the industry into turmoil.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Even though the Commission's proposal has generally met with an open ear and received a great deal of approval, companies are now facing major changes. packaging journal spoke exclusively with representatives of Constantia Flexibles about the topic and how it is being handled within the company.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Achim Grefenstein heads up research and development activities at Constantia Flexibles. As a qualified mechanical engineer and plastics technician, he also teaches plastics processing and recycling at RWTH Aachen University. As Chairman of the Packaging Division of European Plastic Converter (EUPC), he is closely involved in the discussions in Brussels.\n(Image: Constantia Flexibles) \n<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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And this leads to technical limitations in the mechanical recycling of polyolefin food packaging. The only way out is chemical recycling, and as converters we can only hope that our suppliers, i.e. the chemical industry, fulfil their promises, because otherwise we will eventually have no recyclates for our products, which would be tantamount to a de facto ban. The unavoidable production waste, so-called post-industrial recyclate, which is also produced by new technologies, is unfortunately not included in the calculation today. In earlier drafts, the addition of PIR was also permitted. That would have strengthened our innovative strength. On the subject of recyclable, where we are fully behind it for almost all applications, there are only a few niches where biodegradable can be an exception. Therefore, the fact that biodegradable should focus on special niche applications is to be welcomed in principle.<\/p>

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Martina Wagner - We welcome the EU Commission's ambitious proposal in the form of a regulation that can help to reduce Europe's ecological footprint. For us, it is important that it also leads to harmonisation. We currently have different requirements in Europe with regard to recyclability, but also when it comes to labelling packaging. We are therefore delighted that this regulation has the potential to create harmonised standards and thus support the free movement of goods. We believe that an important step has been taken with the draft regulation, although there is a need for further clarification in some areas. It is essential to create clarity here so that, on the one hand, there is planning certainty, but also so that there is a clear direction for development, i.e. clear design for recycling guidelines. In order to meet realistic timelines, there must be time for the development of innovations in addition to the continuous improvement of product design. And the appropriate infrastructure is also needed to collect, sort and recycle this packaging. In order to achieve the requirement proposed in the regulation that packaging is recycled at scale by 2035, the infrastructure needs to be expanded further.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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As Group Sustainability Manager at Constantia Flexibles, Martina Wagner deals intensively with the topic of sustainability. Her department is responsible for the calculation of life cycle assessments, the recyclability assessment and the company's sustainability reporting.\n(Image: Constantia Flexibles) <\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Achim Grefenstein - I would like to add to this: You can't fulfil everything with just one material. At Constantia Flexibles, we pursue a 360-degree material approach. This means that we will continue to work with all materials - aluminium, plastic and paper. However, we will no longer combine them with each other, but instead design them to be recyclable for either the aluminium, plastic or paper stream. Of course, this also requires a close dialogue with customers and partners along the value chain.\u00a0<\/p>