FEVE, the European Federation of glass packaging and glass tableware makers, has released a position paper regarding Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). EPR schemes should, in fact, operate to implement the EU’s Waste Hierarchy with the priority aim of effectively recycling waste and transforming it into new resources for the producing industry. The appropriate collection schemes should be designed by taking into consideration the national and local implications, as well as material characteristics. All stakeholders, including the packaging material producers should be fully involved in the designing of appropriate schemes or the adaptation of existing ones. Separated collection schemes should be acknowledged as good practice. National reporting systems of waste collection and recycling should be based on common definitions. Reported information should include minimum requirements, e.g. scope (geographic scope, types of packaging material to be covered, population covered), transparency (material flows, actually recycled versus recovered rate per material and stream/source, cost, tendering procedures), consumer information, monitoring, reporting and audits, and financial solidity. Post-consumer (household and similar) packaging waste should be separated by industrial, commercial (not similar to household) and institutional (IC&I) packaging waste sources to ensure a level playing field, fair competition and avoid cherry picking. The Position Paper can be downloaded free of charge from: www.feve.org/images/stories/Home2014/ec-consultation-epr-feve-position…
