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 targets can be summarised as follows:
- an overall recovery target of 72% (67% in 2007)
- a minimum amount of recovery to be achieved through recycling 92% (92% in 2007)
Estimated material recycling targets for 2008:
- glass 78% (69.5% in 2007)
- paper 67.5 (67% in 2007)
- aluminium 35% (31% in 2007)
- steel 68% (57.5% in 2007)
- plastic 26% (24% in 2007)
- wood 20.5% (20% in 2007)
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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