Recyclability of packaging - bifa and Interseroh welcome the new minimum standard of the Central Agency
“The Central Agency’s minimum standard is very helpful in setting a uniform framework for all systems and placers on the market”, said Dr Siegfried Kreibe, deputy Managing Director of bifa Umweltinstitut GmbH. “We welcome the updating of this minimum standard, which takes into account new developments and knowledge. The methodology developed by us for Interseroh is also further developed continuously, taking into account the current minimum standards.”
“The objective of a circular economy, which handles the climate and resources carefully, can only be achieved together – the new minimum standard is an important orientation point for packaging manufacturers”, said Markus Müller-Drexel, Managing Director of INTERSEROH Dienstleistungs GmbH. “And the setting up of a recycling fund under public-law in the Central Agency that is currently under discussion can provide useful incentives for increased use of recycled raw materials. With our “Made for Recycling” service we provide active support and advice for the necessary steps in the direction of a circular economy and at the same time we help our clients to comply with the legal requirements, now and in the future.”
According to paragraph 21 VerpackG, dual systems shall grant their customers advantages if they used recyclable packaging. Companies can easily find out how well packaging can be recycled using the scientific “Made for Recycling” assessment method jointly developed by Interseroh and bifa. In this way they not only meet the requirements of the VerpackG, but at the same time also score points with environmentally aware consumers.
About the “Made for Recycling” assessment method:
bifa and Interseroh have developed a three-step points system for assessing the recyclability of packaging. The first step determines whether the consumer can easily assign the packaging to the correct collection system. Then, in the second step, a check is made of how the packaging performs during sorting. Can the currently available sorting technologies sort the packaging into the correct material fraction – or do certain materials prevent clear allocation? The third step examines whether the packaging is suitable for material recovery or whether, for example, labels, closures or barriers make recycling difficult. Packaging barriers are usually used to protect the product from external influences and to ensure the product properties. They are used, for example, as UV or oxygen protection.
The more points the packaging achieves on a scale from 0 to 20, the easier and better it can be recycled. In addition, the “Made for Recycling” service fulfils the requirements of the relevant minimum standards for the design of packaging recyclability of the Central Agency Packaging Register Foundation (Stiftung Zentrale Stelle Verpackungsregister - ZSVR). The methodology was conclusively checked by the experts of the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV.
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You want more information?
You are welcome to contact me
Thorsten Pitschke
tpitschke@bifa.de