Environmental groups call for “aggressive circularity measures” ahead of Waste Framework Directive revisions

20 Apr 2023 --- Ahead of the upcoming revisions to the EU’s Waste Framework Directive (WFD), environmental groups and recycling organizations are calling for stringent policy changes utilizing advanced digital technologies and data management to reduce virgin materials extraction and promote the bloc’s circular economy.

Zero Waste Europe (ZWE), Tomra, Handelens Miljøfond and the Minderoo Foundation today released a white paper detailing legislative proposals to the WFD, which has been in operation since 1975, asserting that current regulations are insufficient for the EU’s environmental targets.

Joan Marc Simon, director and founder at ZWE, tells PackagingInsights that the EU’s current carbon budget will not suffice unless the packaging industry “massively expands reuse and reaches unprecedented performance levels for single-use packaging.”

The EU’s total spending budget is set for €2 trillion (US$2 trillion) until 2027, 30% of which will be spent on fighting climate change through carbon emissions reductions.

“The only way for packaging to fit within the existing carbon budget is to reduce resource use by doubling down on reduction efforts,” says Marc Simon. “Unfortunately, the revision of the WFD that is expected for the month of June is not planning to address the current gap between the EU’s ambitions and the policies it needs to meet them.”

Redesigning resource relationships
The central theme of the white paper is that the EU cannot afford to continue using its current quantity of resources if it is to stay beneath the 1.5-degrees celsius warming target established in the Paris Climate Agreement.

The proposals call for a massive reduction in packaging materials.“What this means for all sectors, including packaging, is that on top of aggressive circularity measures related to product design, collection and recycling, we will need to reduce resource use substantially,” continues Marc Simon.

For this to happen, the white paper highlights the need for:

• Softer regulation for the reuse, repair and remanufacturing of products as well as clarity for the industry on the environmental performance required of reuse systems.
• Greater consistency in the scope and application of extended producer responsibility (EPR) and a more granular recycling hierarchy that characterizes “high quality” recycling.
• A supportive environment for rapidly decarbonizing the treatment and disposal of waste.

The targets are proposed to be met before 2040 to give member states sufficient time to implement new measures.

Additionally, the paper recommends simplifying reporting for producers through consistent data requirements for both Digital Product Passports and EPR schemes. It also urges creating modulated EPR fees to improve product design and providing fiscal incentives for packaging producers to drive eco-designs.

Creating political willpower
Marc Simon says he is doubtful the upcoming WFD revision will realize the changes proposed in the white paper.

“Besides the potential proposals on food waste reduction, which could have the indirect impact of reducing the packaging waste that comes with the food that we will stop wasting and some other small tweaks, it looks like we will need to wait for the next mandate to see real action,” he says.

“To meet our climate targets, we need to redesign our relationship with resources and this means changing how we produce and consume. This is a big undertaking, and the main challenge is that we have to change a system without knowing how to build the new one.”

Creating the political will to push forward such reforms would mean providing a clear vision, and long- and mid-term objectives. Along with political willpower, the packaging sector “must be ready to embrace transition instead of sticking to a model incompatible with the EU climate agenda,” Marc Simon asserts.

“Doing the right thing should be cheaper and easier than doing the wrong thing. Today, the opposite is true.”

By Louis Gore-Langton

To contact our editorial team please email us at editorial@cnsmedia.com