Page 46 - Plastics News July 2018

internAtionAL news

Plastics tops during international Germany introduces new

Coastal Cleanup Packaging law

cean Conservancy has released the results of its 2017 erman parliament has approved the new packaging
OInternational Coastal Cleanup (ICC), reporting that for Glaw aiming to increase recycling and prevention of
the first time since the inception of the ICC more than 30 packaging waste; law enters into force January 1, 2019.
years ago, all of the top-10 items collected by volunteers The German Federal Ministry for the Environment,
around the world were made of plastic, pushing glass Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety
beverage bottles off the list. ‘Over the years, we have (BMUB) informed that the new German packaging law
seen plastics creeping into the top-10 list, displacing items has been approved by the upper house of the German
like rope, beverage cans and paper bags’, said Nicholas parliament (Bundesrat). The new law aims to improve
Mallos, director of Ocean Conservancy’s Trash Free Seas® the existing ordinance on packaging by focusing on
program. ‘But this is the first year that all 10 of the top- recycling and prevention of packaging waste.
10 items collected are made of plastic. Given that plastic
Businesses which place goods on the German market
face a fine of up to €50,000 and a prohibition in sales
if they fail to comply with the country’s updated
packaging laws. To maintain market access, businesses
are obligated to register before dispatching anything
for the first time in Germany before 1st January 2019,
recording their firm’s name, address, contact details,
identification and tax registration numbers and brand
names. Companies that produce volumes of packaging
higher than 80,000 kilos of glass, 50,000 kilos of paper
production is rising, this could be the start of a long and and cardboard and 30,000 kilos of aluminium, plastic,
troubling trend.’ The figures are based on the work of compounds or tinplate/ across goods that are sold in
ICC coordinators and volunteers worldwide. In addition Germany and fail to submit a declaration of compliance
to cleaning beaches and waterways, the volunteers (DOC) could receive a €50,000 fine. “Germany
contribute to the world’s largest database on marine as a country has set itself some ambitious future
debris by logging each rubbish item on a paper data card recycling targets to meet, which will affect producers
or into Ocean Conservancy’s Clean Swell mobile app. In all, considerably going forward,” says Michelle Carvell, COO
789,138 volunteers in more than 100 countries collected of Lorax Compliance. “By 1st January 2019, Germany
nearly 20.5 million pounds (or 9.3 million kilograms) will recover and recycle 90% and 63% of plastics
of rubbish during last year’s ICC. As in previous years, and mechanically
cigarette butts which contain plastic filters topped the reclaimed materials
list at approximately 2.4 million collected. Food wrappers respectively placed
(1.7 million), plastic beverage bottles (1.6 million), plastic on the market, and
bottle caps (1.1 million) and plastic grocery bags (757,523) 90% of all metal,
rounded out the top five. When looking at grocery bags glass and paper by
and other plastic bags (bin bags, newspaper bags, etc.) 2022. Businesses
together, more than 1.5 million were collected in total. must check their compliance requirements in order
Every year, an estimated 8 million metric tonnes of to maintain market access.”The recycling targets for
plastic waste flows into oceans. More than 800 animal the different packaging materials will be increased,
species have been impacted by plastic, which never fully reaching 63% for plastic and 90% for metal, glass,
biodegrade but rather break up into smaller and smaller and paper and board by 2022. Further, there shall
pieces called microplastics. Though a range of solutions be incentives for packaging producers to incorporate
including investments to improve waste management in recyclability considerations in packaging design. In
certain regions are needed to stem the tide of plastic in addition, reusable packaging will be promoted, aiming
the ocean, beach cleanups remain important tools.
to reach a target of 70% reusable beverage packaging.

Plastics News July 2018 46