PACKAGING | ANALYSIS
Single-Use Plastics Directive opens the floodgates in EU
The legislative landscape in Europe has been revamped in recent years and for the first time a material-specific policy agenda has been established. In 2018 the European Commission released its Strategy for Plastic in a Circular Econo- my. A series of targets, objectives and aspirations were detailed in the strategy although the lack of a clear path to reach the collective end goals has left stakehold- ers across the industry in a state of flux. A combination of consumer preferences for convenience and the mis-management of packaging waste has resulted in the proliferation of single-use plastic. This phrase has been buzzing around the industry for a little while now, with the likes of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and the Euro- pean Commission itself conducting various research projects into the matter. Directive (EU) 2019/904, also known as the Single- Use Plastics Directive, is the most recent regulatory tool to arise from research efforts scrutinising plastics’ role in a circular economy. Inappropriate disposal of plastic items (littering) leaves these items suscepti- ble to being blown or washed into drains and rivers which then flow into the marine environment. Other plastic items are often flushed through domestic plumbing systems which, if
www.plasticsrecyclingworld.com
How will new European legislation targeting plastics packaging that escapes into the environment affect producers, converters and recyclers? A new report from AMI Consulting investigates the issues and possible outcomes, says Fergus Mooney, the report’s author
uncaptured, at treatment plants can also flow into the marine environment. Even when waste is collected, open landfills present a risk of plastic items being blown out of containment into systems that again flow into the marine environment. Light weighting has made it easier for plastics to be dispersed throughout the environment.
Extensive media cover- age and images displaying graphic visualisation of the fatal consequence plastic can have on marine life are a favoured shock factor tool in anti-plastic campaigns. Unfavourable public opinion grows from visible terrestrial and marine debris and can be detrimental to organisa- tions through negative association of branding. There is also the associ- ated economic cost to
consider. Removal of urban infrastructure blockages, clean-up of coasts and beaches and the detrimen- tal impact of visible coastal pollution on tourism further compounds the pressure on the plastics industry. Society is looking to authorities to clear up confusion and provide simple, clear, official and trustworthy labelling to identify “good” materials.
Definition Following the release of the Single-Use Plastics Directive, AMI has determined single-use plastic packaging to incorporate the packag- ing products and food/drink delivery formats targeted by the European Commission and structured its analysis to correspond to traditionally defined packaging industry terms. In AMI’s authoritative definition, there are five sub-
segments which comprise single-use plastic packag- ing: disposable food containers; disposable cups and lids; disposable utensils; small-sized bottles (including closures); and packets and wrappers for immediate consumption. The paradoxical nature of single-use plastic packaging makes it challenging to address. Evidentially the accumulation in the environ- ment is problematic, yet the selection of plastic as material of choice in packaging is attractive for many reasons. Various policy instruments have been conceived, some of which are subject to nuanced debate and include: n Consumption reduction n Market restriction n Product design require- ments
n Marking requirements � November/December 2019 | PLASTICS RECYCLING WORLD 11
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
