Special rules for plastic packaging and exceptions for other materials jeopardize waste reduction, circular economy and climate protection
Ahead of the planned vote on changes to the EU packaging regulation in the lead environmental committee of the European Parliament, manufacturers of plastic packaging are warning against an erosion of ecological goals through special rules for plastic packaging and loopholes for other materials.
The criticism is directed against proposals by the rapporteur Frédérique Ries for special reduction targets for plastic packaging, exceptions for composite packaging from the mandatory recycled content quotas for plastic, as well as bans on single-use packaging and reusable quotas, which should only apply to plastic packaging and provide exceptions for packaging made of corrugated cardboard. “Our member companies are already in the middle of the transformation towards less packaging waste, more recyclable packaging and more use of recycled materials. However, we see these goals as being massively jeopardized by the special rules for plastic packaging proposed by Ms. Ries,” explains Dr. Martin Engelmann, Managing Director of the IK Plastic Packaging Industry Association, calls for material-neutral regulations so that every packaging material can demonstrate its strengths for the benefit of the environment, the climate and consumers. Against this background, the alternative proposal presented at short notice by the EPP and ECR groups is also not effective.
The IK particularly criticizes the fact that a special reduction target for plastic packaging and the unequal treatment with other packaging materials lead to a switch to disposable packaging made from other materials, e.g. B. paper packaging laminated or coated with plastic, which is criticized because the plastic it contains cannot be recycled.
The IK also refers to a current study by the GVM Society for Packaging Market Research, according to which a reduction of plastic packaging by 10% by 2030 – provided it is replaced by other materials – will reduce the amount of household packaging by around 10 to 20% and greenhouse gas emissions by 10 to 14 % elevated. “The reason for this is that plastic packaging, with an average weight of 24 grams per kilogram of packaged product, is significantly more material-efficient than alternative packaging materials,” explains Dr. Isabell Schmidt, Managing Director of the Circular Economy at IK.
Given the great potential for saving packaging waste through innovative reusable packaging for “take away” food and drinks as well as through reusable transport boxes in wholesale and retail, it is incomprehensible why the rapporteur wants to limit the requirements to plastic packaging or delete them entirely. “A huge opportunity to save disposable packaging and greenhouse gas emissions remains unused simply because reusable quotas could favor plastic packaging. Numerous studies by environmental organizations confirm that simply replacing plastic with other disposable materials is not the right way to make the packaging market more ecologically sustainable.” , explains Schmidt.
Finally, the IK calls for a credit system to be included in the regulatory text in order to mitigate the negative consequences of the expected recyclate gap from 2030, especially in the area of PE and PP recyclates.
2023-10-23 23:32:29
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