Appearing President of the Brewery and Delicate Drink Trade Affiliation in accordance with managing director Katriina Jaakkola, the appliance directions of the EU packaging waste regulation can nonetheless be influenced.
In Finland, the bottle return charge is over 90 %. As a substitute, solely 29 % of plastic is recycled, so there may be room for enchancment. Timo Marttila
Appearing President of the Brewery and Delicate Drink Trade Affiliation managing director Katriina Jaakkola says that the Brewery and Delicate Drinks Trade Affiliation and commerce unions at the moment are doing every thing they’ll to make sure that Finland doesn’t have to alter its well-functioning bottle return system.
The European Parliament authorized the packaging waste regulation on the finish of April. As of April, there have been no translations of the regulation. The regulation will nonetheless be thought of by the EU Parliament in October, when a ultimate choice will probably be made on it.
The purpose of the regulation is to fight the rising quantity of waste, promote the round economic system and harmonize inside market guidelines. For Finland, the regulation additionally has an enormous downside, as a result of at worst it means abolishing the present bottle return system and changing it with a brand new recycling system.
A few of the bottles go immediately into circulation
In keeping with the regulation, ten % of beer, delicate drinks and water beverage packaging ought to be capable to be recycled as is. Bottles and cans returned in Finland are crushed and the fabric is used to make new packaging.
– For the time being, it appears unhealthy, however we consider that the matter must be additional investigated. The regulation requires refillable bottles, which we presently shouldn’t have. A bit like these brown beer bottles from the previous days coming again. Even frequent sense understands that it isn’t essentially the most environmentally pleasant choice for Finland, which is what this regulation goals for, says Jaakkola.
The regulation enters into power in 2030
The regulation is meant to enter into power in 2030, and software tips will probably be drawn up earlier than then. In keeping with Jaakkola, it’s nonetheless doable to affect the appliance directions.
– The ax has not but been thrown into the nicely, so to talk, however we consider that it will be doable to get a extra cheap finish end result right here by software directions.
Within the software directions, extra detailed laws might be given, on what foundation and through which scenario, a single clause of the regulation can probably be deviated from.
In keeping with Jaakkola, software tips are additionally being ready for a few years, so there may be nonetheless time to make an impression.
– A correct environmental evaluation of different options also needs to be completed.
Selling plastic recycling would assist
There are already exceptions within the regulation if plastic recycling might be elevated and the full quantity of waste might be lowered. Finland might get permission to maintain its bottle deposit system if these situations are met.
– Finland ought to improve the recycling of plastic. Final 12 months, whole plastic recycling was 29 %. The EU regulation requires that plastic recycling be greater than 50 %, Jaakkola identified.
In keeping with Jaakkola, it will be significant for the beer and delicate drink business to seek out out what’s one of the simplest ways to deal with recycling in Finland for the setting, however in a method that additionally takes the prices into consideration.
Prices of lots of of thousands and thousands of euros
Jaakkola factors out that the old-style bottles weigh greater than the present ones and their transport prices can be costlier.
In keeping with Jaakkola, the brand new system can value the beverage business and commerce as much as lots of of thousands and thousands of euros. Along with transportation, prices come from new manufacturing and washing traces, amongst different issues. Robust chemical substances are wanted to scrub the bottles in order that they’re hygienic to make use of once more. Equally, retail shops would want extra house to retailer bottles.
In keeping with Jaakkola, the survey work has been completed from a central European perspective, and the well-functioning Nordic bottle recycling techniques haven’t been sufficiently taken into consideration within the draft regulation.
– Our bottle return charge is over 90 %. Despite the fact that we now have a deposit on the bottles, the survey outcomes present that there’s a important quantity of people that wish to return the bottle, no matter whether or not there’s a return payment or not. Returning a bottle is a matter of honor for us Finns.
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