“Initiatives such as the European Green Deal and the Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP) serve as a global model. The General Approach of the Member States in Council missed the opportunity to signal the importance of delivering an ambitious packaging and packaging waste plan for Europe,” said Steve Claus, Secretary General of APEAL.
APEAL acknowledges the Council’s efforts to define high-quality recycling. However, we believe that incorporating the concept of multiple recycling into the definition of high-quality recycling within the legislative articles would convey an even more robust message to industry. An ambitious definition of high-quality recycling could act as a driving force for packaging manufacturers to enhance the recyclability of their products, thereby fostering to a more effective and efficient recycling process.
APEAL particularly regrets that ‘recyclability performance grades’ based on design for recycling criteria, will not realise their full potential.
“Ambitious recyclability performance grades, including strong qualitative recyclability criteria, would have been a great step forward to a truly EU Circular Economy, ensuring that packaging that can be recycled multiple times and can feed a closed material loop scheme is duly recognised at the top of the recycling hierarchy”.
Nevertheless, APEAL remains committed to continuing working with all relevant stakeholders to prepare the interinstitutional negotiations and urges all parties to raise their ambitions towards a greener and more circular economy in Europe.
