INCPEN Newsletter
 

A message from Paul Vanston, INCPEN CEO

• Financial obligations are sustainable.
• Clarity on the date to start the new EPR system – when in 2023?
• Far fewer free-riders.
• Single point(s) of compliance: reporting and financial.
• Consistency of WHAT recyclable packaging is collected.
• Inclusion of flexible plastics in UK-wide recycling collections.
• Ability and potential to deliver – council bandings.
• Full net costs – what is not included.
• Modulated Rewards Mechanism.
• Measuring ‘citizens’ responsibility’.
• Consistency of HOW recyclable packaging is collected.
• A DRS system is agreed in law UK-wide as a form of EPR.
• Climate change.

• National recycling targets supported by organisational targets (e.g. councils).
• Scientific assessments & measures are fundamental.
• Modulated Fees Mechanism (for producers) and Modulated Rewards Mechanism (for councils).
• Modulated fees for producers based on officially approved Design for Recyclability Guidelines.
• Consistent and unambiguous packaging labelling.
   

• Coherent EPR and DRS governance.
• Delivering the benefits of healthy competition.
• Consultation options on governance.
• EPR governing body role in managing system dynamics on costs and effectiveness.
• Transparency of funding.
• Transparency of data.

• 28 Feb:  1st EPR Sounding Board (Targets and Definitions).
• 02 March:  The Government’s Resources & Waste Strategy ‘One Year On Event’ is hosted by the Environment Minister, Rebecca Pow MP.
• 03 March:  The Government’s Packaging & Collections Working Group.
• 05 March:  The All Party Parliamentary Sustainable Resources Group (APSRG) meets to discuss plastics clauses in the Environment Bill.
• 06 March:  2nd EPR Sounding Board (Household and Business Payment Mechanisms).
• 11 March:  Welsh Government:  Beyond Recycling Workshop.
• 11 March:  British Retail Consortium – Resources & Waste Strategy meeting.
• 13 March:  3rd EPR Sounding Board (Governance and Scheme Administration).
• 16 March:  Clean Oceans Conference.
• 18 March:  Packaging Federation Council Meeting.
• 19 March:  UK Plastics Pact Films and Flexibles Group.
• 23 March:  APSRG Ministerial Event on the Resources & Waste Strategy.
• 25 March:  HM Treasury:  Plastics Packaging Tax – What Next?
• 26 March:  Defra Data Working Group.

INCPEN Member News

Legislation Updates

INCPEN Members (not including Trade Association Group colleagues) can see all legislation updates in full by clicking here.  If you experience issues logging in, please contact Alison Skuse.

Austria: Study finds DRS to be the most cost-effective option to collect 90% of plastic beverage bottles - 18 Feb 2020

• The first two options increase the current separate collection of plastic bottles from the current 70% collection rate to 75% (Option 1), respectively 82% (Option 2). To arrive at the required 90% collection rate, 7,350 tonnes of plastic bottles (3,920 tonnes in Option 2) would have to be sorted out from mixed municipal solid waste. To extract these volumes, 78% of all residual municipal waste in Austria (60% in Option 2) would have to undergo sorting operations. This is estimated to cost EUR 37 million (EUR 27 million in Option 2).
• Option 3 assumes the introduction of a mandatory DRS on beverage containers of 1 litre or less. As the most common plastic beverage bottle size in Austria is 1.5 litres, this option would still require the extraction of 2,750 tonnes of plastic bottles from residual MSW, costing EUR 22 million.
• Option 4 applies a mandatory DRS to all beverage containers. The option is expected to result in a 95% plastic bottle collection rate without requiring bottles from residual MSW. It would also be the most effective option against littering and ensure the highest quality of the collected materials.

Germany: draft transposing of WFD and SUPD submitted for Member States' comments - 12 Feb 2020
 

• extends the Environment Ministry's powers to issue ordinances transposing measures of the CEP package and SUP Directive, i.e. minimum recycled content requirements, obligation to cover litter clean-up costs and bans on certain single-use-plastic SUP products.
  Compared to the Aug-19 draft, the Jan-20 draft adds that products may be banned if they do not facilitate multiple uses or recycling (§24.3) but removes a provision that would have allowed products to be banned if the critical raw materials they contain are not recoverable.
   
• adds ‘duty of care’ as a basic concept underlying EPR: Those selling products must ensure that the usability of the products is preserved and that they do not become waste. The ‘duty-of -care’ obligation should serve as the basis for measures preventing the destruction of unsold stock.
  Compared to the Aug-19 draft, the Jan-20 draft adds that the Government may require companies to report on the measures they plan or have taken to implement the duty-of-care obligation, in particular the whereabouts and disposal of products (§25 (1) 9).

• allow voluntary take-back activities only if they promote the circular economy. This would be considered to be the case ‘if the planned take-back and recycling is of at least the same quality as the recycling offered by the public waste authorities … or charitable or commercial collection (§ 26(3)4). The Aug-19 draft required that voluntary take-back exceed the quality of public or charitable collection.
• enable voluntary take-back activities of non-hazardous waste products that are not manufactured or distributed by the entity undertaking the program*. However, this should remain an exception and the volume of waste products managed should be proportionate to the volume of products made or distributed by the entities which undertake the program.
• exempt the voluntary take back of hazardous waste from licencing requirements on request (§26a).

EU Institutions: Commission work program 2020 and leaked 'new Circular Economy Action Plan' - 5 Feb 2020

• The European Climate Law aimed at making the European goal of reaching climate neutrality by 2050 legally binding for all Member States;
• The European Green Deal Investment Plan whose objective is to mobilise EUR 1 trillion in sustainable investments over the next decade;
• A new Circular Economy Action Plan to further sustainable production and consumption, notably with regards to plastics, textiles, constructions and buildings as well as mobility.

• sustainability claims of bio-based and bio-degradable plastics need to be verified. The Commission will propose a framework to ensure that bio based plastics deliver genuine environmental benefits.
• the ‘essential requirements’ of the Packaging Directive will be reinforced to ensure that all plastic packaging is reusable-or recyclable in an economically viable manner by 2030.
• chemical recycling shows promise for the future where it can complement high quality mechanical recycling;
• the Commission will consider legal requirements for secondary raw materials to boost demand for recycled plastics following an assessment of regulatory or economic incentives by the Circular Plastics Alliance that is due in Jun-21. The EU’s Plastics Strategy aims for 10 million tons of recycled plastics to be used in products by 2025 (news item).
• public authorities will be required to make drinkable tap water accessible in public places to reduce dependence on bottled water.

Netherlands: visible fee and deposit on fridges in 2020, 45% share of bio and recycled plastics by 2025 - 30 Jan 2020

• make available EUR 35 million in 2020 for a one-off campaign to induce consumers to return 1 million energy-inefficient fridges. A ‘return premium’ of EUR 35 would be paid for each fridge at least 10 years old. The measure is expected to avoid 0.5 Mton of CO2 emissions.
• enter into a binding agreement with the white goods sector that will require that a very high visible fee is charged to buyers of new fridges and freezers from Jul-20:  50% of the fee income is to be used to pay consumers that return expired equipment, the other 50% should finance collection and treatment as well as circular economy projects for WEEE. The measure is expected to avoid 0.28 Mton of CO2 emissions per annum and it is suggested that it be applied to other EEE categories later.

News from Industry

• DS Smith completes sale of plastics division; DS Smith has confirmed that completion of the sale of DS Smith’s plastics division to Olympus Partners and its affiliate Liqui-Box Holdings has now taken place.
• Viridor launches plastics collaboration project; Viridor has today (27 February) announced a collaboration aimed at allowing Wales and the south west of England to give all plastic consumed in the area a “recycling solution”.
• What the world needs now is…a net zero club; Green Alliance blog by Shaun Spiers, exec director at Green Alliance and Thomas Hale, associate professor at University of Oxford.
• Hoffmann reveals new line of tinplate cans made from 100% recycled steel; Made possible by collecting separated consumer packaging steel from standard household recycling, the company says that its RecyCan portfolio essentially closes the loop through packaging that is not only completely recycled but also perpetually recyclable.
• Environment Bill passes second reading despite MPs' concerns; The government’s Environment Bill passed its second reading in the House of Commons yesterday (26 February), despite MPs raising concerns over the independence of the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP), the practicalities of England’s deposit return scheme (DRS) and the omission of sachets from single-use plastic legislation.
• Ikea considers mushroom-based packaging to replace polystyrene; The new biodegradable fungus-based packaging will be more easy to recycle and help reduce wastage.
• Lidl launches supermarket-first packaging using ocean bound plastic; Lidl will next month become the first UK supermarket to launch new packaging using “ocean bound plastic”*, plastic that would have otherwise ended up in the ocean, collected from beaches and coastline around South East Asia.
• Environment Exchange records 44% rise in 2019 contracts traded; A record 1,759,185 PRNs were traded on The Environment Exchange’s trading platform in the 2019 compliance year.
• Just Eat and Notpla develop takeaway sector’s first seaweed-lined box; Just Eat has teamed up with Notpla to launch the world’s first seaweed-lined box for the takeaway sector. The box is fully recyclable and can decompose in four weeks in a home compost.
• Friends of the Earth applaud Arsenal FC reusable cup scheme; The environmental campaign group is calling for stadiums and other venues across the UK to introduce reusable cup initiatives after Arsenal revealed that its scheme – introduced at the start of the season – has already prevented an incredible half a million single-use plastic cups being thrown away.
• DS Smith has received an A- score for climate change, sustainable forestry and water security from the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP); Each year, the CDP takes the information supplied in its annual reporting process and scores companies and cities based on their journey through disclosure and towards environmental leadership and grades businesses from ‘A’ to ‘F’.
• Green, brown and leakproof from FPA Manufacturer of the Year Amipak; “The Amipak brown leakproof range delivers excellent performance,” said Amipak director of communications and sustainability, Daniel Schwitzer. “It features a water-based grease and moisture resistant coating and a unique webbed-corner construction to deliver its leakproof credentials. I recently served a piping hot, greasy oily curry straight from the microwave and after 30 minutes there wasn’t even a trace of any grease marks coming through.”
• UK homes losing heat up to three times faster than European neighbours; A new study by tado° has found that UK homes lose heat significantly faster than European neighbours, even when factoring in outside temperature.
• Lucozade Ribena Suntory launches energy and water-efficient line; Investment into Lucozade Ribena Suntory factory delivers 40% reduction on water and energy needed to make each bottle.
• Reuse rates jump in 2019, says Reuse Network; Reuse charities and social enterprises prevented 125,000 tonnes of household furniture and electrical items from going to landfill in 2019, up 4% on the previous year.
• Can we fix our way out of the growing e-waste problem?; Francesco Calo has been learning how to fix his broken TV at a repair event in Tooting, south London.
• Eustice welcomed by waste industry; Figures from across the waste and recycling industry have all welcomed the appointment of George Eustice as Environment Secretary, expressing optimism that his time spent as a Defra minister will serve him well.
• Aldi shakes-up bag strategy to reduce plastic; The supermarket is putting the price of its “flexi-loop bags for life” up from 9p to 15p. The move comes into effect from 24 February.
• Defra calls out public’s food waste ‘denial’; Concerns have been expressed by a Defra representative about a supposedly high level of ‘denial’ amongst the public regarding the issue of food waste.
• Large-scale fly-tipping in England “more than doubled” in six years; Quantities of large-scale fly-tipping in England, which is defined as tipper lorry load or more in size, has more than doubled in the past six years, according to a BBC News investigation.
• Iceland MD criticises retailers’ refill trials for accelerating food waste; Iceland managing director Richard Walker has called out retailers’ loose produce and refill station trials for increasing food waste.
• Scheme launched to collect compostable packs in London; First Mile is launching a recycling collection service for compostable packaging.
• WRAP sets out guidelines for compostable packaging; According to the organisation, the new advice will help businesses make informed choices over compostable packaging.
• Virginia Janssens appointed MD of PlasticsEurope; Janssens, who will take up her role on 16 March. has been the managing director of the European Organization for Packaging and the Environment (EUROPEN) since 2012.
• Iceland to reduce plastic packaging on fresh produce by 93%; UK retailer Iceland is trialling plastic-free and low-plastic packaging solutions across several of its fruit and vegetable lines, reducing the amount of plastic packaging used on its fresh produce lines by 93%. 
• Veolia aims to educate supply chain with academy; Waste management specialist Veolia is launching a Sustainable Packaging Academy to help manufacturers in the supply chain.
• Asda removes 16 tonnes of plastic packaging from new Easter egg range; Asda has announced that its new range of Easter eggs will be packaged in 98 per cent less plastic, saving a total of 16 tonnes year-on-year. The new range is also made with 100 per cent sustainable UTZ certified chocolate.