CorrugatedPallets.com | European Parliament passes proposal on recycling and recovery of packaging waste

European Parliament passes proposal on recycling and recovery of packaging waste

Press Release
Date Modified: 2002-09-04

In a legislative resolution, Parliament approved by 487 votes to 6 with 53 abstentions, the Commission proposal on recycling and recovery of packaging waste with amendments.

MEPs approved an amendment to increase the minimum recycling target by weight for packaging materials contained in packaging waste from the 55% proposed by the Commission to 65%. However, they did not change the proposed goal of 60% for energy recovery, nor the Commission figures for recycling i.e. 20% for plastics, 50% for metals, 55% for paper and cardboard and 60% for glass.

These targets should be met by 31 December 2006, Parliament believes but Parliament accepts the Commission’s proposal for a delay of 3 years until 30 June 2009 for Greece, Ireland and Portugal.

Parliament, however, also says that from 1 January 2004 new packaging should only be put on the market “if the producer has taken all necessary measures to minimise its environmental impact as far as possible without compromising the essential functions of the packaging”.

The House did not adopt the Environment Committee’s amendment calling for the amount of packaging waste generated to be cut by 10% compared with 1998 levels.