Pack2Go Europe welcomes more balanced EU Circular Economy
Manufacturers welcome the new European approach to a more sustainable, resource efficient and competitive economy
Food and beverage service and convenience packaging producers welcome the European Commission's new measures to help transition the EU from a linear economic model of consumption to a so-called "circular economy". The new proposal takes a more effective and realistic approach compared to the first draft that was put on the table in July 2014.
The circular economy is a notion that was taken up by the EU a few years ago in order to promote a longterm economic growth where resources are used in a more sustainable way. This includes increasing re-use and recycling of goods, as well as reducing waste in all sorts of ways.
Included in the Circular Economy plan released on Wednesday 2 December is a long-awaited legislative proposal to increase the recycling targets in Europe. Other measures also require Member States to put in place waste management plans which deal with littering and litter - a problem that has taken an increasingly global dimension, especially in the context of marine litter.
"Pack2Go Europe companies have long recognised the problem of litter and played an instrumental role in the creation of a pan-European litter prevention organisation, the Clean Europe Network, back in 2013" says Mike Turner, acting President of Pack2Go Europe. "Litter prevention is all about changing consumer behaviour to be more responsible. The EU's circular economy is also about changing our mindsets more broadly and about exploring new ways of delivering value with fewer resources."
Food and beverage service and convenience packaging are essential to guarantee hygiene and safety for food and drinks consumed on-the-go. The first disposable paper cup was commercialised in the USA a century ago in order to replace the disease-spreading shared cups at water fountains with a hygienic, single-use alternative. Today these products have become part of our way of life. Food and beverageservice and convenience packaging are fully recyclable and we need to find better ways of capturing that
resource after its first use.
