Plastics processors establish "R3Amballe" working group
In France, the two largest associations Elipso and Polyvia and the Centre Technique Industriel (IPC) have joined forces.
According to those involved, the working group named "R3Emballe" was created against the backdrop of the planned European Packaging & Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) and the current and developing regulatory environment in France. The group's name refers to the so-called 3R regulation of the French AGEC law on combating waste and the circular economy (Loi relative à la lutte contre le gaspillage et à l'économie circulaire). This stipulates a 20 per cent reduction in single-use plastic packaging placed on the market from 2025, with at least 50 per cent of this to be achieved through reused and recyclable packaging. The French word "réemballe" means "to repackage", "to reuse". The group wants to contribute to "establishing clear and practicable rules for the reuse of plastic packaging", according to a press release. It sees itself as an alliance that prioritises the reduction of the carbon footprint of packaging and the circularity of the industry and wants to change the way packaging is produced and used "by questioning its use". IPC, Elipso and Polyvia are calling on all players in the plastic packaging reuse sector to join the working group. The aim is to support the plastics industry in fulfilling its new legal and environmental responsibilities and to ensure that the solutions used make sense from both an environmental and industrial point of view for economic operators and consumers. The founding of the group was announced by the associations and the IPC research centre during the "Prod & Pack" trade fair in Lyon at the end of November 2023. Unlike several times in the past, this time the IK Industrievereinigung Kunststoffverpackungen from Germany is not involved in the French alliance's initiative. However, the topic of "reusable packaging" is also being taken up and addressed directly by the German plastics processing associations, according to association circles.
Sources:
- Elipso press release (Nov. 17, 2023)
- kiweb.de (Nov. 27, 2023)
- Photo: Fotolia