PETplanet Insider Vol. 25 No. 06/24 www.petpla.net 20 MATERIALS / RECYCLING Deutsche Umwelthilfe has been investigating recycling streams The recycling rate for beverage cartons is only half as high as is being claimed The German environmental organisation Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) has calculated a recycling rate of 38% rather than 75% for beverage cartons, once again casting an unfavourable light on the use of controversial cardboard packaging. However, the new EU Packaging Regulation plans to do something about this. The current draft text calls for a mandatory deposit scheme for containers which, for technical reasons, are made almost exclusively from virgin material. CONVEYING PALLETIZING PACKAGING BLOWING FILLING LABELLING The DUH organisation is always challenging and questioning the environmental-friendliness of drinks packaging in Germany. Their research and findings can also be applied to other countries, even though Germany is different with its small-scale bottling industry and special waste system (Yellow Bag). For the German small-scale market, the DUH has concluded that returnable glass bottles are the most environmentally-friendly option for short distances between the consumer and bottler. The fact that municipal water in Germany is of drinking water quality was not taken into account, which is why no packaging is actually required for water. It is equally evident that the non-returnable PET bottle is the most eco-friendly form of beverage packaging when distances between the consumer and bottler are greater, as is the case in nearly every country. The current DUH study on drinks cartons is extremely interesting. The official recycling rate of 75% for drinks cartons claimed by FKN e.V., the association that represents the interests of beverage carton manufacturers, is far too high – in fact it is only around 38%. The 75% quoted by the FKN is based on the cartons collected in the yellow bag, the 38% recycling quota of the DUH is based on cartons produced or sold. Barbara Metz, Federal Managing Director at DUH, said “Contrary to the promises made by Tetra Pak and Co., beverage cartons have an incredibly poor recycling record. This is mainly due to the fact that more than a third of their drinks cartons do not end up in yellow recycling bags but in residual waste, a paper bin or in the environment. The Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke must therefore introduce a one-way deposit of 25 cents on drinks cartons as soon as possible. This would allow around 2.3 billion more units to be recycled each year. The best thing to do is to dispense with environmentally harmful drinks cartons altogether and use regional reusable bottles instead.” In addition, the EU Packaging Regulation explicitly recommends introducing a deposit scheme for beverage cartons. Drinks cartons have tended to be less eco-friendly in recent years. The paper fibre content has decreased while the plastic ratio has increased, with composite packaging having become 35% heavier during the last 20 years. They are only filled at a few locations and distributed over long distances throughout Germany. Thomas Fischer, Head of the Circular Economy at DUH, continues: “Beverage cartons are a burden on our environment due to their plastic-moulded packaging. Tops made from plastic, long-handled pouring aids or oversized screw caps are evidence of the increasing plasticisation of this short-lived
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