EuPC: Stricter controls on plastics waste exports demanded

Leading European Plastics Packaging Manufacturers have voiced their concerns on the growing export of plastics waste for recycling outside of Europe.

Speaking following the official publication of the revised Packaging and Packaging waste Directive (94/62/EC), EuPC (www. eupc.org) Managing Director, Alexandre Dangis, said "EU Member States should enforce stricter rules to stop plastics waste going to Asia and being land-filled. With the recent revision of the Packaging Waste Directive and the upcoming EU Enlargement in May the problem will only worsen causing further difficulties for both plastics recyclers and plastics packaging manufacturers. It is feared that many recycling companies will become unviable simply because they cannot get sufficient access to EU-generated waste."

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"The EU Institutions have increased the plastics packaging recycling targets from 15% to 22.5% in the amended EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive but there is no requirement to verify that the conditions surrounding plastics recycling in Asia are comparable to those prevalent in Europe" he added.

"In many European ports ships destined for Asia laden with plastics waste are not properly controlled and EU Enlargement will only increase the export of collected and sorted waste in the future. If Europe's politicians want to develop a sustainable plastics recycling industry then the Packaging Waste Directive should be implemented in Member States in the spirit of treating Europe's waste in Europe and not in Asia".

According to EuPC, the EU Member States and the European Commission should together develop export guidelines to ensure that a closer parity of conditions and standards exist in the plastics recycling industries inside an outside the EU. Only then will plastics recyclers in Europe have the confidence to install the recycling capacity needed to achieve the higher recycling targets in the Directive. Ultimately, this will be implemented in 25 Member States.

European Plastics Coverters, Brussels, Belgium

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