Contents page 1 — Prevent instead of manage page 2 — The act on Packaging, manage waste rather than prevent it page 3 — How much can move small initiatives? On a page
read Since October, the company Alb-Gold is in the production halls in the Swabian town of Trochtelfingen a new machine. Alb-Gold manufactures since 1977, pasta, in the first 40 years of the plastic wrap were to be Packed – Packed-like noodles. Since October, it’s different, a little bit at least: Now the new machine is Packed seven noodle places in the paper.
“We do not have expected long to a complete paper packaging,” says Oliver Freidler, a member of the Board of Alb-Gold. One of the biggest concerns: It is hot always, consumers would have to see the product in the market to make a purchase decision. However, market research revealed that customers of pasta as the noodles will recognize when they are Packed in opaque paper. So developed the Alb-Gold is a tear – and puncture-resistant paper packaging and bought a new machine, soon the other noodle to packaging products.
We have not expected long to a complete paper packaging rank.
Oliver Freidler of Alb-Gold
Alb-Gold is an example for many companies and citizens ‘ projects, which try to reduce the waste from plastic packaging. Alone in the year 2016 in Germany 3.097.700 tonnes of plastic packaging is thrown away, are approximately 38 kilograms of foils, trays and bottles per head. 3.097.700 tons, so much weigh all in the world’s oceans, living blue whales, approximately. They are the ones who suffer from the discarded packaging, for every year, ends up to be a part of it, along with other plastic garbage in the sea, and in the worst case, in the stomachs of the animals.
How can the environmental pollution caused by plastic packaging be reduced? In addition to the initiatives of entrepreneurs and citizens, there is also a political answer to this question: the new packaging law, the since 1. January. It tightened the rules for handling packaging, but requires companies such as Alb-Gold would be less than is possible and necessary: It does not force anyone to do away with plastic.
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The packaging act is not a completely new Instrument, but based on the packaging Ordinance of 1991 and which is a reason why Germany is true for many other countries as a model in matters of environmental protection and waste management. Even if here, more per capita packaging waste generated than in any other EU country.
The German packaging Ordinance introduced the principle of product responsibility: Any company that brings packaging into circulation, is also responsible for ensuring that they are collected and recycled. The company will make the non-self, but to pay license fees to other, so-called dual systems. Organize the Rest and have been working with waste management companies. The oldest and best-known System is the Green dot, now there is a total of nine systems, which are in competition.
The new packaging law replaces the Ordinance, because the had a big Problem: she was too weak. “The legislature has determined that not all manufacturers have complied with their obligations under the regulation,” says Matthias Fabian, he leads the execution of the act on Packaging in the environment Agency. Some manufacturers had not paid for their packaging, others only a part.
With the packaging act has now established a Central office, the company should be more control. In addition, the act provides that the environment will be rewarded-friendly packaging in the future through lower license fees. And it should ensure that less bottles end up in the trash, so there is more one-way Deposit and a returnable quota.
From the environmental point of view, the most important provision in the new law, however, is different: higher recycling rates for packaging. Since January, the systems must ensure that more plastic is actually recycled. The packaging law requires, in addition, that the plastic packaging material must be recycled. This means that the Recycling of plastic remains, as such, is preserved and made into a new plastic product can be. The PET bottle should be at best back to the PET bottle, and not as a reducing agent in the blast furnace, which would be feedstock recycling.
the act on Packaging, What changes with the law?
The packaging act contains four key Changes that can help the environment:
Higher recycling rate discounts for eco-friendly packaging more Deposit and returnable beverage more control by the Central authority
