Industry calls for all packaging to be separately collected to increase recycling

Dear Sir/Madam,

The undersigned industries[1] call for your support in the ongoing Trilogue discussions on the Waste Legislative Package to ensure that all used packaging is collected separately. Our industries have long worked to achieve ambitious recycling levels and are committed to increasing the recycling of packaging material. Recycling, however, will always be hampered in the absence of proper collection.

The ongoing revision of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (PPWD (94/62/EC)) represents a key opportunity to close the current gap in packaging collection. Therefore, the signatories respectfully urge the European Commission and Council of the European Union to support the European Parliament’s call to amend the PPWD with a requirement for all packaging to be separately collected[2] and ensure that everything that can be recycled is ultimately recycled.

This will:

• ensure that packaging materials can duly contribute to the ambitious recycling targets set out in the Waste Legislative Package;
• ensure the broad participation of citizens by making the system as simple as possible;
• drive investment and innovation in collection, sorting and recycling infrastructure;
• secure the supply of feedstock available for recycling, which will in turn boost market applications for secondary raw materials and contribute to higher quality recycling. 

The separate collection of all packaging is a prerequisite if Member States are to reach increased recycling targets. Moreover, the technical and economic feasibility of separate collection which includes all packaging has already been demonstrated in several Member States. 

We hope you will support our request for measures mandating separate collection of all packaging in your important work on the revision of the EU Waste Legislative Package.

Yours sincerely, 

The Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment (ACE)

European Aluminium

European Aluminium Foil Association (EAFA)

The European Federation of Corrugated Board Manufacturers (FEFCO)

Flexible Packaging Europe (FPE)

PlasticsEurope