EU Reports on Status of Packaging Recycling Legislation

By this week, all EU Member States should have transposed into their national legislation an EU Directive setting higher recycling and recovery targets for packaging waste. This type of waste includes packaging made from paper, glass, metals, plastics and wood. The new Directive updates and strengthens an earlier Directive from 1994. It aims to further reduce the negative environmental impacts created by the landfilling and incineration of packaging waste and by the production of virgin materials. So far only Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Luxembourg and the United Kingdom have informed the Commission that they have transposed the Directive.

Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said: “The new recycling targets are a further step on our way towards a more sustainable society. They strengthen the recycling industry. They also enable consumers to actively participate in recycling schemes and to show their commitment to a more responsible management of packaging waste. I am confident that Member states will do their utmost to implement the new rules swiftly so they can have full effect throughout the EU.”

The new Packaging Directive roughly doubles packaging recycling targets and strengthens the target for recovery. It also clarifies the definition of packaging and allows certain provisions to be implemented by voluntary agreements if they deliver what is legally required. The new targets need to be achieved between 2008 and 2015, depending on the Member State.

Currently, every European citizen is, directly or indirectly, responsible for the creation of close to half a kilogram of packaging waste per day. Much of this packaging waste can be recycled. This avoids the environmental impacts related to the production of virgin materials and thus saves resources and avoids emissions to air and water during the production process. At the same time, less packaging waste is sent to final disposal. This does not only avoid further air and water emissions, but also reduces the need to create new landfills and incinerators.

Compared to a scenario of zero recycling, the recycling of packaging saved around 0.6 percent of total EU greenhouse gas emissions at an additional cost of around 500 million Euros in 2001. The average cost of reducing a ton of CO2 equivalent through packaging recycling increased from 12/t Euros in 1997 to 23/t Euros in 2001. This makes packaging a cost-effective option to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and many other environmental impacts.

Although many Member States already achieve the new recycling and recovery targets, only Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Luxembourg and the United Kingdom have so far informed the Commission that they have incorporated into their national laws the new Directive. Once the Member States have sent their legislation to the Commission, it checks it for compliance and can, if necessary, take appropriate further action. The Commission can open infringement procedures against Member States that do not meet transposition deadlines.