Four leading European beverage associations, European Fruit Juice Association (AIJN), The Brewers of Europe, Natural Mineral Waters Europe and UNESDA Soft Drinks Europe have united in expressing their concern at the mandatory targets the European Commission intends to set for the reuse of beverage containers.
For the upcoming revision of the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive, the Commission may propose to set reuse targets for beverage packaging already at 20% by 2030 and then as high as 75% by 2040, to be imposed at national level and observed by each individual manufacturer, which the associations say are discriminatory, disproportionate and unjustified, as well as posing an existential threat to many SMEs in the sector.
They also point out that such targets would lead to the dismantling of a number of existing recycling systems. “Our sector is already achieving high rates of collection for recycling and is steadily progressing towards full circularity. Introducing unrealistically high reuse rates will significantly compromise this progress and jeopardise the sector, while the environmental benefit of this policy measure is yet to be demonstrated”, said Patricia Fosselard, Secretary General, Natural Mineral Waters Europe.
Reuse should be seen as a complement to recycling, not as a substitute. Our sectors wish to continue paving the way for full packaging circularity, but that can only be achieved through the right enablers in place.
Wouter Lox, Secretary-General, AIJN – European Fruit Juice Association
Over the last years, the sector has been investing into more recyclability, more collection, more recycling and more reuse to make packaging fully circular by 2030, according to Nicholas Hodac, Director General, UNESDA Soft Drinks Europe. “It is totally incomprehensible that the European Commission is disregarding it and asking us to switch entirely to reuse. We can achieve the Commission’s goal in a much more realistic way that is less harmful for the industry and that makes sense for the environment”, he added.
The financial cost of implementing such a reorientation in a short period of time would be “astronomically” high. Established business models across Europe would inevitably and rapidly become unsustainable. Furthermore, the Commission is assuming that high targets will lead to rapid consumer uptake, for which, the associations say, there is no evidence.
While the sectors already has reusable packaging as part of the mix and is committed to increasing the offer of reusable beverage systems with the right policy measures in place, the associations point out the reuse targets as currently formulated are unrealistic and incoherent, as they overlook the ongoing huge efforts and investments that are already being made towards achieving packaging circularity through increased recyclability, collection of beverage packaging and the use of more recycled content.
The four associations represent thousands of businesses in the beverage value chain. “We recognise and support the positive steps the European Commission is taking towards increased circularity, but we call upon the Commission to rethink its approach and to look at environmental policy as an opportunity to accelerate the circular economy for beverage packaging through enablers that support industrial policy”, their plea concluded.
