The proposals come in a an Environment Directorate working document looking at a range of issues covered by the directive other than the actual numerical targets. New recycling and recovery targets are still being finalised and are due for publication early in 2001.
Under the proposals to change various aspects of the legislation, the waste management unit accepts that it is difficult to introduce “measures ensuring an effective quantitative and qualitative prevention of packaging waste”. But, it says that it is possible to reinforce the fundamental importance of the concept of the prevention of packaging waste. One idea is to require member states to set up quantitative prevention targets at national level and reuse targets for some specific applications.
Reuse
On reuse the working paper says that the practice of reuse, especially for beverage containers, crates and pallets should be promoted at EU level.
Other issues under discussion include the definition of recycling. This is a fundamental issue as it is linked directly to the revision of targets.
A central debate here is over the distinction between recycling and energy recovery.
The paper states: “It should be clarified if recycling shall mean the reprocessing of waste material in a production process with the aim to manufacture new material products not intended to be used as fuels, or if it shall include also the reprocessing of waste with the intention to produce fuels as final outcome.”
The report then goes on to say that this issue of definitions applies especially to plastics recycling. In the future, says the waste management unit, the recycling targets could apply either to mechanical recycling and chemical/feedstock recycling, or to them both separately.
EU member states will now consider the document which is an attempt by the waste management unit to speed up the revision process in the light of delays to the separate revision of the targets.
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