Figures released recently by the Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI) show that paper is the most recycled packaging material in the EU with a recycling rate of 78%, based on 2010 figures.
The Brussels-based non-profit organization says the outcomes – sourced from Eurostat data – give an indication that renewable and recyclable paper packaging “contributes positively to the European objective of resource efficiency”.
The result, CEPI adds, exceeds the 60% target set in the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive, which had been reached in 1997 (European Commission data).
“Through high recycling rates, the European paper industry is a leading example on how sustainability and competitiveness can go hand in hand,” said Teresa Presas, CEPI director general.
But, she added, a level playing field between different packaging materials will be an important consideration in the forthcoming revision of the European packaging directive.
“Currently, each material has a different recycling target rate ranging from 15% to 60%,” Presas said. “In addition, it is time to consider the essential role smart packaging plays in a resource efficient Europe. Packaging can prevent waste of goods and spillage of food in particular.”
CEPI states that the European paper industry utilises resources that are constantly renewed and recycled, and the body is keen to see policies supporting resource efficiency being enforced “in a harmonised way” across Europe.
CEPI believes its calculations are realistic and reliable, taking into account the share of paper packaging that arrives in Europe with imported goods.