EFBW on Green Deal: Now is the time for a strong Circular Economy
The European Federation of Bottled Waters (EFBW) welcomes European Commission proposal for a European Green Deal aiming to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. “We fully support that achieving a true Circular Economy in Europe is a top priority on Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen’s future agenda,” says Patricia Fosse-lard, EFBW Secretary General. “EFBW is a strong advocate for a Circular Economy based on eco-design, high packaging collection, quality sorting and recycling in closed-loop. Now is the time for a step-change to make it happen across the EU.”
Building on natural mineral and spring water producers’ longstanding sustainable re-source management and environment protection, the members are committed to achieving full circularity for the packaging. Beverage packaging already achieves higher than average recycling rates, including those for PET bottles, which is the most recycled form of plastic packaging in the EU. It will require a collaborative effort between all value-chain actors to reach shared ambitions for Europe.
EFBW Sustainability Director, Ermis Panagiotopoulos, adds: “Practices need to be main-streamed in all EU countries, especially for waste collection and recycling. Our industry uses PET, glass or aluminum, which are all fully recyclable, but in order to make our packaging fully circular, we need a consistent supply of high-quality, food contact, recycled material. To ensure the high quantity and quality of recycled PET for instance, separate collection is essential. This can occur either via existing well-performing curbside collection or by the introduction of well-designed Deposit Refund Systems.”
