Where should the green dot symbol be used when the product is sold?
PVC products—can they be sold in Germany? Why is there a need to pay a “packaging tax”? What are the contents of the new EU directives? How can one obtain environmentally friendly packaging? How does one apply for eco-labeling? These questions arise from Europe’s efforts to manage 50 million tons of packaging waste each year. Currently, most EU member states are establishing waste-management laws in order to meet the objectives of the EU “Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive.” Products imported from Asian countries into Europe are inevitably affected by the numerous new packaging laws introduced in Europe.
The EU “Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive” was enforced in December 1994. The initial objective was to harmonize existing packaging waste-management laws of member states and to encourage each country to introduce its own packaging waste-management system to others. Essentially, the directive sets a unified waste-management target for all EU member states, requiring them to achieve this target by 2001.
The EU requires that each type of packaging material (by weight) must achieve at least a 15% recycling rate, of which 50% to 65% must be recovered, and 25% to 45% must be recycled. The governments of the 15 EU member states had implemented their respective national laws by June 30, 1996, and gradually moved toward achieving these goals. Some member states are close to meeting the deadline, while others are still working toward it. To ensure the smooth functioning of the EU Single Market, no member state may set different standards or requirements for different packaging materials or types.
Commercial activity is currently the primary concern of the EU Packaging Directive, as this directive directly affects the most fundamental laws of each country. The directive may challenge unreasonable packaging regulations established by member states. For example, Denmark’s old reusable beer bottle system conflicts with the basic principles of the EU Packaging Directive. Other regulations—such as labeling, material identification, and heavy-metal requirements—have not yet been finalized.
Establishing “producer responsibility” is a tool for achieving packaging reduction. Most waste-management laws currently being developed—or already adopted by EU member states—are based on the principles of “producer responsibility” or “polluter pays.” According to the producer-responsibility principle, manufacturers or retailers must also bear responsibility for managing waste after consumers discard packaging. This means that private businesses must now shoulder responsibilities that were once held by public authorities. To prevent individual companies from struggling with the collection and management of post-consumer packaging waste, they may delegate this work to a third party. The fees charged by such third parties depend on the cost of collecting and managing the waste. This method of assigning responsibility to the producer helps reduce the growth of packaging waste. In other words, product prices must include waste-management costs. To keep product prices from rising significantly, companies will increasingly turn to reduced or redesigned packaging to decrease the amount of packaging material used.
The EU directive does not specify how member states must achieve the targets; each country may set its own approach. As a result, manufacturers hoping to export products to Europe must face different legal requirements from different EU countries, causing confusion for many businesses. Although the details of each country’s packaging laws differ, their core requirements are generally as follows:
- Individual manufacturer responsibility: Each manufacturer or retailer must share the management costs of packaging waste after consumers discard it.
- Delegating waste management to a third party: In reality, from a business perspective, the responsibility for waste management cannot be entirely borne by the manufacturer, so it can be delegated to a third party. For example, manufacturers or retailers can join waste recycling programs.
- Waste management (collection, sorting, recycling, and reprocessing) for individuals or organizations: Government departments should promote the concept of manufacturer responsibility to the public, including the management of individual packaging waste.
Waste management fees, using Green Dot as an example, should be charged based on the actual waste management standards. While some waste management fees are based on volume, most are calculated based on the packaging material and weight. This pricing method helps manufacturers establish or create data on packaging weight for easy reference.
Germany's Green Dot program charges exceptionally high fees for plastic materials, approximately DM2.95/kg, almost three times the price of untreated plastic. Therefore, only by using appropriate quantities can costs be saved. Table 2 illustrates the high waste management costs of traditional and lightweight 200ml PE bottles used in shampoo production by German bathroom product manufacturers, highlighting the significant waste management expenses and emphasizing the need for innovative ideas to reduce packaging material usage. Using less packaging material can also reduce consumer spending and create a greater competitive advantage for lightweight packaging.
Detailed information:http://greenmark.epa.gov.tw/main4.asp(Environmental Protection Administration, Executive Yuan)
