| Author (Person) | Carstens, Karen |
|---|---|
| Series Title | European Voice |
| Series Details | Vol.10, No.8, 4.3.04 |
| Publication Date | 04/03/2004 |
| Content Type | News |
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By Karen Carstens Date: 04/03/04 ONLY a few years ago, industry and regulators may not have seen eye-to-eye on the optimal disposal of packaging waste. But despite difficulties in grappling with the details of how to put EU framework laws on the reuse and recycling packaging into practice, a wide range of participants appeared to be singing from the same hymn sheet at a recent conference. The two-day event, which concluded on Tuesday (2 March) and was organized by European Voice, allowed for the in-depth exploration of some of the latest buzzwords being applied to the sector, such as "cradle-to-cradle" (versus "cradle-to-grave"). Keynote speaker Catherine Day, director-general at the European Commission's environment directorate, the birthplace of EU packaging waste policies, said that a new emphasis was being placed on "prevention strategies" that seek to minimize the environmental impact of packaging before products even get to market. "We're conducting a number of studies on this at present, and we'll be reporting back to the European Parliament and the Council [of Ministers] with our findings," she said. One of the most difficult tasks in the process was determining "what can be done at different levels", the Irishwoman added. All legislation, however, should be complemented with "more market-based mechanisms". "Environment and competition are increasingly being presented as opponents and I don't think that's true we want to meet the business community halfway on this," she said during a panel discussion. Melissa Shinn, policy advisor on packaging and eco-labels for the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), claimed that there has not been enough focus to date on prevention strategies. "We need definitions on prevention just as much as we do on recycling," she said, adding that firms often still fail to convey a product's full environmental "footprint" to their customers. Failure to provide such an indicator robs customers buying packaging of the chance to choose "greener" bottles, or containers, produced by companies under more sustainable conditions than those of some of their counterparts. Several industry representatives in attendance, however, highlighted strategies they have introduced in recent years to produce a new generation of hi-tech, lighter and less bulky packaging and promote sustainable production practices. Salvatore Gabola, Coca-Cola's public affairs director for Europe, Eurasia and the Middle East, said that prevention had been addressed via the EU laws by the so-called essential requirements. A 1994 packaging directive sets out certain "essential requirements" for the composition and the reuse, recovery and recycling of packaging, although most member states have been slow to implement them and debates have raged over their precise definitions. Day pointed out that the EU only sets a broad framework, while member states should come up with the detailed processes themselves. Report of a two-day conference, organised by European Voice, on 1-2 March 2004 on the subject of disposal of packaging waste. |
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| Source Link | Link to Main Source http://www.european-voice.com/ |
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| Subject Categories | Environment |
