Marc Adams, Managing Director Interregional Packaging Commission (IRPC) Belgian EPR-systems: the packaging waste example RCBC conference Whistler Creating the circular economy May 6-8, 2015 1
Contents Situation of Belgium within Europe EPR systems in Belgium Belgian Packaging Waste Law & Accredited (packaging recovery) organisations European Commission study: development of guidance on EPR Some conclusions 2
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Belgium is a federal state, densely populated, in the heart of Europe 3 Regions: Flanders (6 mio inhabitants) Wallonia (4 mio) Brussels (1 mio) Regions are competent for environment & waste management 1 uniform collection scheme, but with regional (and local) variations 4
Belgian (packaging) waste legislation: milestones First Flemish Waste Decree dates to 1980: beginning of selective collection of household waste fractions in Belgium In 1994: adoption of the European Packaging Waste Directive (94/62/EC) (first EPR directive) In 1996: Cooperation Agreement, the Belgian Packaging Law, setting up an Extended Producer Responsibility for household and non-household packaging waste (first EPR system in Belgium) 5
kg/inhabitant Waste & Materials Management in Flanders Results: Household waste increase and increase in recycling & composting (kg/capita) 600 period: 1993-2013 500 400 300 200 100 0 199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013 71% Reused Recycled Composted 27% residual waste: 26% Incineration <1% landfilling Regional waste legislation some figures from the Flemish Region (thanks to Mrs. Anne Vandeputte of OVAM) 6
EPR-systems in Belgium: first introduction of legislation 1. Packaging [Fost Plus + Val-I-Pac]: 1996 2. Batteries [Bebat]: 1998 3. Car batteries [Recybat]: 1998 4. Paper - publicity: 1998 5. Paper - press: 1998 6. WEEE (Waste electric & electronic equipment) [Recupel]: 1999 7. WEEE - Photovoltaic panels: 2013 (Flanders only) 8. End-of-life-verhicles [Febelauto]: 1999 9. Tyres [Recytyre]: 1999 10. Waste industrial oils [Valorlub]: 2002 11. Waste cooking oils [Valorfrit]: 2002 2015 (?) 12. Waste medicines: 2002 13. Waste photographic equipment (Brussels and Wallonia only): 2003 14. (Packaging of) agricultural pesticides, etc. [Agri-recover] 7
EPR-systems in Belgium: key components Mostly take-back obligations, implemented through an environmental policy contract between the regional governments and the National (not-for-profit!) recovery organisation for packaging: accreditation Generally, a combination of (very high) targets for selective collection and (high) recycling targets For household waste flows, as a rule, the collection is (entirely or) partially done by local authorities (on their recycling yards); they get paid full cost by the recovery organisations - this collection is often complemented by the RO s own collection system (for instance: WEEE and batteries) 8
Illustration of household waste collection, organised by local authorities PMD (packaging) + + Garden & kitchen waste + Residual waste Door-to-Door (DtD) collection or Kerbside collection (fortnightly) Home composting Bring site or Recycling yard 9
EPR-systems in Belgium: key components For non household (= industrial & commercial) waste flows, as a rule, the collection is done by private waste collectors, who will sign B2B contracts with the recovery organisations for the transmission of waste statistics or for the actual waste collection. Market driven, not always full cost Value of collected materials plays a major role (for example: Valorfrit) No competition between recovery organisations: Not because it s imposed by the Law, but because the Belgian market is too small (only 11 million inhabitants) Competition is organised at another level 10
EPR-systems in Belgium: prerequisites for success The most important policy instruments: Environmental levies on landfilling & incineration of waste Landfill & incineration bans (legal instruments) No more landfill of household waste (except incinerator ashes) Incineration ban for all waste fractions subject to a selective collection Pay As You Throw (PAYT) (economic instruments) Take-back obligation (producer responsibility obligations), based on the principle of the extended producer responsibilty and the polluter-pays principle (legal instrument) Methodical approach to the waste problem through drafting waste management plans (legal instrument) Information & awareness raising campaigns, education programmes at schools (social instruments) 11
Example: Belgian Packaging Waste Law (the Cooperation agreement) Responsible company is the Belgian packer/filler or the Belgian importer Double responsibility: 80% recycling target for Household packaging waste 80% recycling target for Industrial (i.e. nonhousehold) packaging waste Compliance mostly through Accredited (packaging recovery) organisations: Fost Plus for household packaging waste Val-I-Pac for industrial & commercial packaging waste 12
Status: Accredited (packaging recovery) organisations Private sector initiative Government accreditation (only for packaging; for other RO s: environmental policy contract ) Not-for-profit organisation Must cover the totality of Belgium Must prove recycling and recovery Strict government control 13
Accredited (packaging recovery) organisations Fost Plus collection system: Local authorities [(Inter)municipalities] collect household packaging waste (or organise the collection) for Fost Plus: Paper & cardboard (curbside collection) Coloured & non-coloured glass (bottle banks) PMD/PMC-fraction (curbside collection): P = plastic bottles (PET) & flasks (HDPE) M = metals D/C = drink cartons = tetra pak 14
Accredited (packaging recovery) organisations 15
Accredited (packaging recovery) organisations Fost Plus pays full cost of collection and sorting Fost Plus organises recycling of collected & sorted fractions At all stages: public tendering procedures Goal is to maximalize recycling, not collection 16
FOST PLUS IS FINANCED: FOR LESS THAN 50% BY MEMBERSHIP FEES FOR MORE THAN 50% BY SALE OF MATERIALS FOR RECYCLING 17
Accredited (packaging recovery) organisations Val-I-Pac system: Val-I-Pac doesn t organise collection or recycling of industrial & commercial packaging waste Val-I-Pac gathers data on collection and recycling from private waste collectors, who collect the i&c (packaging) waste from i&c consumers collectors have to give proof of recycling Val-I-Pac gives financial incentives to i&c consumers aimed at increasing selective collection 18
European Commission study, available on: http://ec.eur opa.eu/envir onment/archi ves/waste/e u_guidance/i ndex.html 19
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Fair Competition is not equal to Competition between (Packaging) Recovery Organisations 24
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Some conclusions It s important to develop and support selective collection at the source It s important to set up the right economic instruments to support selective collection (landfill bans, incineration taxes, pay-as-you-throw ) It s important to act agains incivilities (littering, incorrect sorting ) 27
Some conclusions Competition needs to be guaranteed, but not necessarily on the organisational level (between RO s) If there is competition between RO s, as in some European member states, a level playing field needs to be created! Without a level playing field, there is no fair/honest competition this is sometimes a problem in Europe Transparency of the tariffs and nondiscrimination is imposed by Law in Belgium : the same tariffs for all! 28
Some conclusions Belgium has a fully functional competition (on the operational level) AND the scale advantages of an organisational monopoly This monopoly is not imposed by the Law! In Belgium accredited (packaging recovery) organisations have to be not-for-profit This is the best guarantee that there won t be an abuse of monopoly This also guarantees prices are as low as they possibly can be, as there are no profit margins to fill 29
Thank you for your attention! To contact us: IVCIE, Avenue des Arts 10-11, 1210 Brussels www.ivcie.be m.adams@ivcie.be Tel: +32/2/209 03 60 Fax: +32/2/209 03 98 30