Elvira Mityukova, Development Director at Terrascope Group, and Jens Bidstrup Rasmussen, Vice President of Business Development Europe at Aegis Packaging, spoke about Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) practices in the European Union.
Jens Rasmussen talked about the Green Deal, the new EU packaging legislation — the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), and the challenges this will pose for producers and recyclers.
From 2030, a number of packaging products will be banned in the EU. In particular, single-use plastics will be banned, which includes: single-use group packaging, single-use packaging in the HoReCa sector, single-use packaging in the hospitality sector and single-use packaging for condiments, sugar, cream, etc. in the HoReCa sector.
In most EU countries, EPR already exists. Those that don’t have it yet will become mandatory in 2025. The EPRs depend on the weight of the packaging and the type of material and range from 200 to 2000 euros per ton. They apply to all packaging materials, including glass, paper, etc. By 2030, ROP charges for packaging containing recycled plastic will decrease. These fees will correspond to the recyclability grade of the packaging. A better grade means lower fees.
But, as Jens Rasmussen pointed out, ROP levies are not all levies. In addition to them, some countries may introduce a tax on plastics that are not recyclable. The regulation does not foresee this non-PPWR tax, but it could be introduced by EU countries at their discretion, writes unipack.
This will of course have an impact on packaging. It is not without reason that the main trend nowadays is to create packaging from mono-material to ensure it is recyclable.
Changes in European legislation are making life more difficult for packaging manufacturers. In order to make packaging from recycled materials, it is necessary to have access to recycled plastic derived from consumer waste. Will it be available in sufficient quantities for everyone?
Jens Rasmussen believes that the transition to monopoly packaging can be challenging. And that’s where Aegis Packaging can help, with its special water-based barrier coating O2X (6% solids, 94% water), which is compatible with most films. It can be used where oxygen protection is required in food packaging. According to Jens Rasmussen, this is an example of a technology that can help in the transition to a circular economy, reduce packaging waste and protect food.