EHJ April 2004, pages 126
Landfill capacity is decreasing. Tina Garrity reports on EU initiatives to find alternative uses for packaging waste

When the EC directive on packaging and packaging waste came into force in 1994, part of its aim was to reduce the impact that packaging waste has on the environment. Minimum recovery and recycling targets were set for member states, which had to be met by June 2001 (see box below).

That year, a cost benefit evaluation of targets for different types of packaging was commissioned from the consultancy firms RDC Environment and Pira.1

Most member states made good progress. The UK was meeting its recycling target but was struggling with the recovery rates. The 15 per cent target for plastics and aluminium was also proving to be a challenge.2

New targets were then proposed and a robust debate ensued between the council, MEPs and environmental groups. A European Court of Justice ruling that incinerating packaging and then claiming this as energy "recovery" was not allowed and meant countries would fail to meet targets.

Eventually a compromise was reached. Member states would be allowed to count incineration towards EU targets until an ongoing review has been completed. Higher energy recovery targets would have been set if incinerators had been in place to handle the excess demand. But the commission ruled that it could not force member states to build more incinerators. The RDC/Pira report outlined targets for specific risk materials.

Glass: The report recommends that between 53 to 87 per cent of glass should be recycled. While 100 per cent is technically and economically feasible, people are unwilling to do so unless the necessary infrastructure and campaigns are in place. Also, countries that consume more green glass than they produce struggle to find a market for recycled glass.

Paper and board: Recycling rates for paper and board should be 60 to 74 per cent. The commission opted for the lower figure as the environmental benefits are not as clear as for recycled glass. Fibre degradation means that, after each round of recycling, virgin material needs to be added for higher quality paper grades.

Metals: The report calls for between 60 and 75 per cent recycling for steel and between 25 and 31 per cent for aluminium. As aluminium has a smaller market share than steel, the commission opted for 50 per cent for all metals.

Plastics: Recycling of plastics should be between 28 and 38 per cent. A lower value was set as most countries had failed to reach the existing target of 15 per cent. Plastics recycling is more costly than other materials and suffers technical and economic constraints. The high level of purity required is not always achievable. Also recycled material cannot be used for all applications, said the commission.

Additions have been made to the list, such as film wraps and CD cases, which are defined as packaging but have other functions. Items intended to be filled at the point of sale have also been included, such as sandwich bags or disposable cups. Items hung or attached to a product and also performing a packaging function are now covered, except where they are an integral part of the product to be ultimately consumed or disposed with it.

Member states are obliged under the amended directive to encourage energy recovery where it is preferable to material-recycling for environmental and cost-benefit reasons. States must also encourage the recycling of packaging waste. The directive requires this to be done either by improving market conditions or by reviewing existing regulations that prevent the use of those materials.

Directive 2004/12/EC... of 11 February 2004 amending Directive 94/62/EC on packaging and packaging waste. OJ L47. 18.02.04 pp 26-31
http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/pri/en/oj/dat/2004/l_047/l_04720040218en00260031.pdf

References

1. http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/waste/studies/packaging/costsbenefits.pdf
2. ENDS report, issue 323, December 2001