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PPWR – On December 18, representatives of EU countries will decide on a new waste regulation

The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) project, whose main, goal is to reduce packaging waste and implement the circular economy even more effectively, will soon be taken up by representatives of member states on December 18. The recyclers, papermakers and paper and board packaging industry is calling on the new government to support the complementarity of recycling and reuse as the basis for a circular economy when voting on the draft regulation. Prioritizing the reuse of packaging, while marginalizing the role of recycling, in which the paper and board segment is leading, could contribute to flooding the EU market with millions of tons of plastic.

In an interview with Newseria.pl, Janusz Turski, director general of the Association of Polish Papermakers, stressed that: “What the commission is proposing, such as increasing of the recycling rate or recyclate in a product, is the right approach, while we do not understand why the recycling process by some countries is not recognized as complementary to reuse.” Director Turski also added that: “It is impossible to reuse packaging that serves, for example, highly processed foods, medicines or beverages, if only for sanitary or hygienic reasons. This can unintentionally cause a much greater risk to human safety. Besides, both paper and cardboard are much safer for the environment. Therefore, we expect a more rational and sustainable approach to recycling and reuse. We postulate this together with countries that understand well the principals of realizing an environmentally and socially responsible economy – these are the Scandinavian countries, France or Italy.”

DS Smith’s Director of External Relations and Marketing Kamila Kozbial also shares SPP’s position. As she said: “We oppose attempts by some countries to minimize the role of paper and cardboard recycling and give priority to the reuse of plastic packaging . We are counting on the new government to also support a complementary approach to recycling and reuse as the basis for a circular economy when voting on the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation project.”

Adopted in 2018, the “waste package” is expected to bring EU countries closer to implementing a circular economy (GOZ) and indirectly contribute to reducing plastic and packaging waste, which is a massive environmental problem. This is also the goal of the PPWR (Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation) currently under consideration, which MEPs on the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) approved in November this year. Meanwhile, representatives of member states will vote on the draft on December 18. The new regulations are expected to be adopted before the end of the parliamentary term.

You can read the entire interview here: https://info.newseria.pl/?show_news=1738274186&t=7a6b33344d8285f1b7e69b91b60d796e