EU recycling regime challenged

The dispute comes after the European parliament confirmed that the minimum recycling target for packaging waste would be raised from 25 to 55 per cent by 2008 to cut the amount of discarded packaging that pollutes the environment. These new targets will oblige manufacturers and packaging companies to recycle materials discarded by households, instead of relying solely on waste from industrial and commercial premises.

The agreement reached by the European Parliament and Council Conciliation Committee has been warmly welcomed by the European Commission. "I am happy that the agreement now opens the way for a substantial increase in the recycling of packaging waste,"​ said environment commissioner Margot Wallström. "It will enable consumers to actively participate in recycling schemes and show their commitment to a more responsible management of packaging waste."​

However, local authorities have made it clear that they are reluctant to collect used packaging on industry's behalf, unless they receive extra payments. They argue that taxpayers should not have to make up the shortfall in costs.

But some sectors of the packaging industry however are worried that the extra costs involved will eat into already tight margins. Producers of glass and aluminium products are especially concerned that the EU ruling will put them under extreme financial pressure unless they receive state help.

Incpen, the industry council for packaging and the environment, believes that the latest set of recycling targets are too demanding. The association believes that it is inappropriate for rural areas, which would use extra energy to collect materials for recycling, to have the same targets as cities.

"Packaging manufacturers and users are already responsible for ensuring that packaging is safe in use and that it can be treated and handled safely in any efficient waste management system at the end of its useful life,"​ the association said in a statement. "Unlike larger items, such as cars and white goods, there is very little used packaging that can be re-used and it has a low scrap value. Imposing further responsibility on industry for taking back used packaging has little or no effect on choice and design of packaging."​

Opponents of the targets also point out that the recycling of lightweight packaging materials such as plastic and aluminium will make little contribution to meeting local authority's own recycling targets as these are weight-based. There are fears that local authorities will meet their targets simple through the recycling of paper and green waste alone.

Reuters quotes Richard Hands of carton manufacturer Tetra Pak as saying that the industry simply cannot afford to fund collection schemes itself. "We feel we have done our bit in helping the recycling capacity to be established,"​ he said. Hands now fears that the reluctance of local authorities to collect lightweight packaging could lead to spare capacity in recycling facilities across the country.

The ongoing dispute over responsibility will make it harder for the UK to meet the EU 2008 targets. According to Association of European Producers of Steel Packaging (APEAL)​ figures, just 42 per cent of steel packaging in the UK was recycled in 2002, well below the European average of 60 per cent. Belgium (93 per cent), Germany (79 per cent), and the Netherlands (78 per cent) topped the table. According to Friends of the Earth, the UK recycles less steel than Australia (43 per cent), Korea (47 per cent), the US (59 per cent), South Africa (63 per cent) and Japan (86 per cent).

But some Member States have even worse recycling records - Finland has a rate of 39 per cent. Portugal, at 28 per cent, remains at the 2001 level, but has already exceeded the minimum recycling rate of 15 per cent that it had to reach under law by the end of 2005. Nonetheless, APEAL believes that Europe stands out favourably in an international context - only Japan and South Africa, with 86 per cent and 63 per cent respectively, exceed the European average in terms of steel recycling.