The European Commission in early March 2013 launched a public consultation aimed at encouraging a discussion on how to make plastic products more sustainable throughout their life cycle and on how to reduce the impact of plastic waste on the environment. All interested stakeholders are invited to provide their opinion on the matter until 7 June 2013. The survey results will be fed into a broader waste policy review, due in 2014, which will focus on existing waste recovery and landfill targets and include a re-evaluation of existing waste stream directives.

The so-called Green Paper initiative highlights the role plastic plays in many processes and applications while underlining the economic gains of higher recycling rates. In order to promote the latter at the expense of the exploitation of virgin resources, the Commission endeavours to find better framework conditions to support eco-design and environmental innovation. Specifically, the European umbrella organisation welcomes suggestions on how to include waste prevention and recycling into the design of plastic products.

The initiative strives to address the challenges posed by plastic waste, which to date have not been included in EU waste legislation. To make up for this absence, the Green Paper aims to gather views on plastic waste and define a common approach on how to mitigate them, inviting stakeholders to comment on how the existing legislation should be amended to promote re-use, recycling and recovery. Consultation participants are also asked to present their views on the effectiveness of recycling targets as well as on economic measures such as landfill bans, landfill taxes or pay-as-you-throw schemes. The 26 questions also will focus on how to improve plastic design to promote recyclability, how to reduce marine litter and whether biodegradable alternatives should be promoted.

Welcoming the initiative, EC Commissioner for Environment Janez Potocnik said plastic waste provides a major opportunity for resource efficiency, while Plastics Recyclers Europe (EUPR, Brussels / Belgium; www.plasticsrecyclers.eu) president Ton Emans said, “the policy options investigated by the Commission are the most appropriate ones to reduce the impact of plastics waste on the environment.” The EuPR head emphasised that, “a landfill ban, specific plastics waste recycling targets and eco-design are great solutions to increase recycling.”

The paper was also welcomed by plastics industry producers' association PlasticsEurope (Brussels / Belgium; www.plasticseurope.com) as a significant step towards the goal of achieving “zero plastics to landfill by 2020” – see also Plasteurope.com of 21.08.2012. PlasticsEurope executive director Wilfried Haensel said, “The review of the Landfill Directive in 2014 offers an opportunity to make a step-change in the EU's resource efficiency policy. The inclusion of a landfill ban on plastics waste in the directive will stimulate the plastic recycling sector and will make more plastic waste available for efficient energy recovery to produce electricity and heat. This ultimately leads to the creation of jobs and helps Europe to be less dependent on energy imports.”

To take part in the public consultation, visit http://ec.europa.eu/environment/consultations/plastic_waste_en.htm

e-Service:
European Commission Green Paper on a European Strategy on plastic waste in the environment as a PDF document