packaging waste law
In 1994, the European Commission passed a Directive requiring all member states to put into place systems to recycle packaging waste. Each country could decide on the best system for them, as long as they ensured they could recover at least 50% of packaging waste by 2001.
The Directive has now been reviewed and a new set of recovery and recycling targets have been set for 2008. The announcement can be viewed here.
The targets can be summarised as follows:
- an overall recovery target of 70% (63% in 2004)
- a minimum amount of recovery to be achieved through recycling 95% (94% in 2004)
Differentiated material recycling targets:
- glass 71% (49% in 2004)
- paper 70% (65% in 2004)
- aluminium 35.5% (26% in 2004)
- steel 61.5% (52.5% in 2004)
- plastic 23.5% (21.5% in 2004)
- wood 21% (18% in 2004)
The 1994 Packaging Waste Directive was introduced in the UK through the following pieces of legislation:
The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 1997
The Packaging (Essential Requirements) Regulations 1998
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