Meeting with UNESDA
Ref. Ares(2021)5737909 - 20/09/2021
13/09/2018
Briefing for Vice President Katainen
S. de Gramont, President of UNESDA
Union of European Soft Drinks Associations
ENV contribution
Scene setter
You wil meet UNESDA President S. de Gramont. You wil discuss with him about the
Plastics Strategy and about packaging waste in the context of the Waste Framework
Directive.
UNESDA welcomed the publication of the EU Strategy for Plastics, as well as the
ambition to create a circular economy for plastic packaging. UNESDA members affirm
they have taken steps to primarily use recyclable materials, increase EU recycling rates
and expand recycled materials in their soft drinks packaging.
In its formal contribution to the European Commission’s preliminary consultation on
actions related to marine litter and single use plastics, UNESDA expressed their
support to a holistic and multi-stakeholder approach to tackle the issues of marine litter
by strengthening waste management and enforcing waste legislation to ensure
effective household col ection. In particular, UNESDA cal ed for strong EPR minimum
requirements to encourage waste col ection and recycling.
Objective(s)
Inform UNESDA about the Plastics Strategy by highlighting the importance of
business associations to make the Strategy a success story. In particular,
encourage UNESDA to promote, among their members, the current Plastics
Strategy’s pledging campaign.
Recal to UNESDA relevant features of the proposed Directive on single use
plastics & fishing gear, and stress that the proposed Directive is an action to
tackle the unsustainable use of some plastic items, not against plastic per se.
Recal to UNESDA the recent changes in EU Waste legislation regarding the
increased packaging recycling targets and the changes to the requirements for
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes to improve their governance
and cost-efficiency.
Inform UNESDA of the Commission’s ongoing preparatory work for:
o a future revision of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive with a
view to revisit the Directive’s Essential requirements to help ensure inter
alia that by 2030 al plastics packaging placed on the EU market can be
reused or recycled in a cost-effective manner;
o a guidance on the modulation of producer fees under EPR.
ENV contribution
Meeting with UNESDA
13/09/2018
Invite UNESDA to participate over the coming year in the stakeholder
consultation that wil be taking place in the context of both studies.
Line to take
Plastics Strategy
The strategy presents a vision for a smart, innovative and sustainable plastics
industry, with reuse and recycling activities integrated into production chains to bring
growth, jobs and added value in Europe. This strategy wil also help protect our
environment, reduce marine litter, greenhouse gas emissions and our dependence
on imported fossil fuels.
To achieve this vision, it foresees actions along four main axes:
o Improve the economics and quality of plastic recycling: By 2030, al plastic
packaging should be reusable or recyclable. This wil be achieved by improved
design and by boosting high quality recycled content, improving separate
col ection and increasing demand for recycled plastics.
o Curb plastic waste and littering, including micro-plastics, oxo-degradable
plastics and single use plastics.
o Drive investments and innovation in the value chain: In 2018 the Commission
wil develop a Strategic Research Innovation Agenda for Plastics while until
2020, the EU Research and Innovation Programme Horizon 2020 wil invest
an additional 100 mil ion Euros in plastics innovation.
o Cal for global action to reduce plastics pol ution
Some of UNESDA members in the soft drinks sector already committed to take
actions. For example, The Coca Cola Company announced it wil col ect and recycle
the equivalent of al its packaging by 2030. It will also aim to make al of its
packaging with an average of 50 per cent recycled content by the same date.
Danone's Evian vowed to use 100 percent recycled plastic in bottles by 2025.
However, we can step up our ambitions by involving more companies in the
plastics circular transition. UNESDA’s role is therefore crucial.
The Plastics Strategy also includes a pledging campaign to boost the uptake of
recycled plastics to ensure that by 2025 ten mil ion tonnes of recycled plastics find
their way into new products on the EU market. The deadline to submit these
voluntary pledges on plastics is upcoming, on 30 September 2018. Associations
like UNESDA play a vital role in making the pledging campaign a success, for
example by encouraging their members to submit their own pledges. I encourage
you to circulate this information among your contacts.
As a fol ow up to the Plastics Strategy, the Commission proposed a Directive on
single use plastics & fishing gear, which is not an action against plastics; it is
an action to tackle the unsustainable use of some plastic items. We are not tackling
the single-use items as such, but focussing on items, completely or partial y made of
plastics, which are major contributors to marine litter.
Among other actions, producers wil help cover the costs of waste management and
clean-up, as wel as awareness raising measures for food containers, drinks
containers and cups. Member States will be obliged to col ect 90% of single-use
plastic drinks bottles by 2025, for example through deposit refund schemes. Single-
use drinks containers made with plastic wil only be al owed on the market if their
caps and lids remain attached.
ENV contribution
Meeting with UNESDA
13/09/2018
We received UNESDA’s formal contribution to the Single Use Plastics
Directive’s preparatory discussion, and we look forward to keep cooperating in
the next phase.
Packaging waste & Waste Framework Directive
Packaging waste is an important part of the overall waste stream. Its efficient
col ection, management and treatment, in line with the waste hierarchy, are
important just as other environmental chal enges linked to use of packaging
material.
The recently adopted waste package contains a number of elements of relevance
to the soft drinks sector, such as minimum recycling targets for packaging -
increasing from 55% to 65% in 2025 and 70% in 2030. For glass the target wil be of
70% in 2025 and 75% in 2030 whereas for plastic it will be 50% in 2025 and 55% in
2030.
The recently revised Waste Framework Directive introduced changes to how the
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes are run. They aim to improve
their governance and cost-efficiency and were strongly supported by the packaging
producer organisations and associations (EUROPEN, EXPRA). As most Member
State EPR schemes wil need to be adjusted, advise that the soft drinks
industries take part in the review processes that will happen in Member States
in the coming 4 years (2023 is the deadline to adjust existing schemes to the new
requirements).
The EU Plastic Strategy has envisaged the review of the Essential Requirements
regulating what packaging can be placed on the market under the Packaging and
Packaging Waste Directive. The objective of the review is to increase their
effectiveness in avoiding packaging waste and overcoming barriers to reuse and
recycling of packaging. A consultant is carrying supportive studies and workshops
with the industry to assist us in this work.
The EU Plastic Strategy also requires the Commission to issue, by the end of 2019,
guidance on modulation of producer fees under EPR schemes to facilitate
harmonized application across the EU. A consultant is carrying supportive studies
and workshops with the industry to assist us in this work.
Relevant stakeholders, including from the soft-drinks packaging and fillers sector
(normal y represented by associations like EUROPEN and EXPRA) wil be invited
to get involved in this preparatory work on both the review of the Essential
requirements and the guidance of eco-modulation.
EMAS
Encourage UNESDA to promote EMAS membership (EU Eco-Management and
Audit Scheme) among their contacts. EMAS is a premium management instrument
developed by the European Commission for companies and other organisations to
evaluate, report, and improve their environmental performance. EMAS is the most
credible and robust environmental management instrument on the market. This is a
great opportunity for the whole soft drinks sector, as it enhances performances, as
wel as credibility and reputation.
ENV contribution
Electronically signed on 20/09/2021 14:15 (UTC+02) in accordance with article 11 of Commission Decision C(2020) 4482