The Copenhagen-based EEA, which collects and disseminates environment-related information for the 25 EU Member States and three candidate countries, said today that “little progress” has been made in Europe since the 1994 Packaging Waste Directive came into force.
From 1997 to 2001, the amount of packaging waste increased in 10 of the 15 older EU Member States, and by 7% in the European Union as a whole (not including new EU countries).
The EEA said preliminary projections suggested that volumes of packaging waste are likely to continue rising substantially in the future. It said this increase was partly explained by the rise in the number of smaller households generating more packaging, but it was also because of the growth in the internal market and an increased emphasis on food health and safety.
When compared to population, the EEA report said the UK has the eighth worst record on packaging waste generation among the 15 non-accession Member States, but is above the European average.
The Agency's report said that in the year 2000-2001, the overall amount of packaging waste generated dipped, but said it was too early to tell if this signalled a change in the upward trend.
Directive
The 1994 Packaging Directive introduced a system of producer responsibility on packaging waste. In the UK, this means any business handling more than 50 tonnes of packaging or with a turnover above 2 million a year must pay for their share of its recovery or recycling. But, the Agency warned that since the Directive has no waste prevention measures, it can only have an indirect impact on the generation of packaging waste.
Commenting on the report, which also looked at other environmental concerns, the Agency's executive director, Jacqueline McGlade, said that more market-based instruments should be used to help address resource use and waste.
Recovery
In its report, the Agency said today that there has been an increasing proportion of packaging waste being recovered in Europe. All Member States met the Directive's recycling target for 2001 of 25%, though Greece, Ireland and Portugal have lower targets and longer timeframes.
The Agency said that for countries with high recovery and recycling rates – such as Denmark and Austria – the Packaging Directive has had little influence on waste management systems. For those among the 15 Member States with a poorer record, such as Ireland and Italy, the legislation has had a much more positive impact, it said.
On average, the 15 Member States recycled 53% of its packaging waste in 2001, recovering 7% and sending about 40% to final disposal. This was an increase from 46% recycled in 1997 and 7% recovered, with 47% sent to final disposal.
The UK recycled about 50% of its waste in 2001, but in 2003 recycled just over 53.4% of the 10 million tonnes of packaging waste it generated in that year.
The Agency warned that the 10 new countries in the EU “are still a long way” from meeting the Directive's next recycling target of 55%, although they have longer to meet the target than the 2008 deadline for the older Member States. The Agency said that Ireland also has a long way to go to meet the 55% target, and must double the proportion of packaging waste it recycled in 2002.
Subscribe for free