PLASTIC CARRIER BAGS
Follow-up: European Bioplastics and Assobioplastiche welcome European Council's amendment to Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive
The responses to the European Council’s proposal to amend the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (PPWD) continue to pour in. After both European Plastics Converters (EuPC, Brussels / Belgium; www.eupc.org) and PlasticsEurope (Brussels / Belgium; www.plasticseurope.org) expressed concerns about the wording (see Plasteurope.com of 26.11.2014), two other associations have now come out in favour of the legislation.
The first, European Bioplastics (Berlin / Germany; www.european-bioplastics.org) said by sanctioning the actions taken by several member states with regard to compostable bags, the proposals push decision-making to the national level, where best policies can be implemented by taking account of local infrastructure, practices and markets. “This is crucial, because it retroactively legalises national legislation of member states like Italy and France. Both states have recognised the benefits that are achievable with biodegradable and compostable shopping bags,” said association chairman François de Bie.
European Bioplastics expressed its appreciation for the endorsement of EN13432 as the standard to certify biodegradation and also welcomed the initiative to further improve biodegradability and compostability labelling for plastic carrier bags. The association added that it regrets that the Council failed to ban oxo-degradable plastics, but expressed its belief that the report commissioned on these materials will show that they are not biodegradable and “hence do not qualify as an ecological solution.”
Joining in the praise of the amendment was Assobioplastiche (Rome / Italy; www.assobioplastiche.org), the Italian bioplastic and biodegradable and compostable materials association, whose president Marco Versari called the text “an important step towards the implementation of the circular economy throughout Europe.” Versari added that the measures outlined in the amendment “will contribute greatly to the development of an industry that can provide a major opportunity to revitalise a segment like that of traditional chemicals that is undergoing difficulties all across Europe.”
The first, European Bioplastics (Berlin / Germany; www.european-bioplastics.org) said by sanctioning the actions taken by several member states with regard to compostable bags, the proposals push decision-making to the national level, where best policies can be implemented by taking account of local infrastructure, practices and markets. “This is crucial, because it retroactively legalises national legislation of member states like Italy and France. Both states have recognised the benefits that are achievable with biodegradable and compostable shopping bags,” said association chairman François de Bie.
European Bioplastics expressed its appreciation for the endorsement of EN13432 as the standard to certify biodegradation and also welcomed the initiative to further improve biodegradability and compostability labelling for plastic carrier bags. The association added that it regrets that the Council failed to ban oxo-degradable plastics, but expressed its belief that the report commissioned on these materials will show that they are not biodegradable and “hence do not qualify as an ecological solution.”
Joining in the praise of the amendment was Assobioplastiche (Rome / Italy; www.assobioplastiche.org), the Italian bioplastic and biodegradable and compostable materials association, whose president Marco Versari called the text “an important step towards the implementation of the circular economy throughout Europe.” Versari added that the measures outlined in the amendment “will contribute greatly to the development of an industry that can provide a major opportunity to revitalise a segment like that of traditional chemicals that is undergoing difficulties all across Europe.”
27.11.2014 Plasteurope.com [229861-0]
Published on 27.11.2014