September 2019
Single Use Plastics (SUP) Directive – your help is needed by Friday 4 October!
Currently there is a request from the European Commission for carton converters to participate in a consultation surrounding the implementation of the Single Use Plastics Directive (Directive (EU) 2019/904 on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment). This Directive presents a risk to some coated cartons manufactured by converter companies and some of our suppliers.
The consultation was, almost immediately after launch, taken offline whilst the European Commission’s consultants – Ramboll – fixed some issues. The survey is now back online and the closing date has been extended to Friday 4 October.
Please click here to download a list of model answers to the consultation. These can be copied and pasted directly into the survey.
Please note that once you start the consultation you have to finish – there is no way to save the answers part way through.
Also, please click here to download a briefing note from Mike Turner, the new MD of ECMA, that gives valuable background information.
The focus of the responses is as follows:
- Coated cartons – such as clam-shells, should not be defined, within the ‘Single Use Plastics’ Directive as ‘Plastic’ when they are predominantly fibre based. In all communication with all stakeholders, we should NOT refer to our products as being ‘Single Use Plastic’ but should use the term ‘Single Use’
- Focus should be given, within the scope of the Directive, to the recyclability of the products we manufacture and the fact that more paper-based packaging products are recycled than all other packaging types combined (Source: Eurostat 2017)
- Single use cartons provide the most environmental and hygienic method of transporting and consuming food for consumption ‘on the go’
Stakeholder feedback will be highly relevant and appreciated by Ramboll and the European Commission and will help in ensuring we get the message across about the many benefits of coated cartons and why they should not fall into the scope of the Single Use Plastics Directive – therefore please take time to respond on behalf of your company. Using the suggested answers, your response should take no more than 10 minutes.
The survey can be accessed by clicking here.
Many thanks in anticipation of your help.
If you have any queries regarding the above, please do get in contact with me using the details on the right hand side.