When the new Packaging Act comes into force on July 1, 2022, higher recycling rates will be targeted in the future.

The reason for these new regulations is the advancing environmental pollution and climate change - the new measures are intended to put a stop to this.

The ambitious goals are to be achieved by avoiding waste from the packaging industry and by using even more recyclable materials to produce packaging.

To sum up: New recycling quotas have been set - and we will deal with this in more detail below.

More sustainability in terms of packaging is coming our way

 100 percent recyclable - With some materials this is possible.

 

Although recycling rates in Germany are already very good, the new EU Regulation (EU) 2022/1616, which has been in force since October 10, 2022, will make the requirements even stricter.

For industry and trade, these changes mean that the dual systems will have to achieve much higher recycling rates.

In plain language, this means that far more recyclable materials must be recovered from each package than was previously the case. Consequently, waste paper is to be used to produce new paper and plastic waste is to be used to produce new plastics.

The quotas define the minimum quantity. Accordingly, both the recovery of energy or the incineration of waste should not count towards recycling.

The packaging affected by the quotas is that which is covered by the dual systems and is therefore licensed. It should be noted that only licensed packaging may be used from October 2024. In order to ensure this, appropriate controls will be carried out in the future.

Recycling rates have already been increased significantly in the past. For plastic packaging, for example, an increase from 36 percent to 63 percent has been demanded to date. For other materials, the increases in recycling rates were even higher. Under the new regulation, the trend increases by a significant amount.

In our blog you can find more information about flexible packaging and how it affects the recycling rate. Feel free to contact us if you would like more information.

Here's what you should know about recycling rates in Germany

The first Packaging Act in Germany came into force on January 1, 2019. Since then, recycling rates have been steadily increased.

Depending on which materials are used to manufacture a package, the recycling rates that can be achieved differ.

To implement this, there are dual systems throughout Germany that are obligated to take back packaging waste and reprocess it. This is the only way to comply with the statutory regulations - which will have a positive impact on nature, the environment and the climate in the long term.

The recycling rates set by law have a significant impact on the sustainability of packaging. We would like to explain to you in detail why this is so and what exactly you can imagine by recycling quotas.

Recycling rates - facts and figures

Since all packaging is produced from valuable raw materials, these substances are accordingly also contained in the packaging waste - and these should not be lost, but recovered with the help of recycling.

A recycling rate determines the quantity value of material that has been made recyclable through the recycling process. In other words, it is a percentage of the disposed waste that can be reused to manufacture new products - mechanical recycling.

Excluded from this, however, are those materials that are incinerated - although they are recovered and used energetically to generate district heating.

The basis for calculating the exact recycling quota is packaging that has a license. With this packaging license, the distributor and manufacturer of packaging participating in the disposal process through the dual system must register. This allows the recycling rate to be accurately determined.

We would like to show you how high the respective recycling rates have been so far and which changes will come into force with the new regulation by means of the following examples:

• For aluminum, glass and metals, the recycling rate as of 2019 was 80 percent, and the rule as of 2022 states a recycling rate of 90 percent.
• For cardboard, paper and paperboard, the recycling rate in 2019 was 85 percent since 2022 at 90 percent.
• Beverage packaging had a recycling rate of 75 percent in 2019 and an increase to 80 percent since 2022.
• Plastic packaging was 58.5 percent recycled in 2019 and 63 percent recycled in 2022.
• Other composite packaging corresponded to a ratio of 55 percent in 2019 and 70 percent by 2022.

The demands on sustainable packaging are thus constantly increasing, as the recycling rate is to be further increased in the future as well.

Different ways to recycle closer look

The aim of recycling is to prepare packaging materials that have already been used so that they can be reused. In this process, the recovered materials are either used again for the same purpose - to produce packaging - or their use is for the production of other products.

The recycling process of packaging waste can be done in different ways - we would like to introduce you to three common recycling methods:

1. Material recycling: In this process, used materials are processed into so-called recyclates in order to use them to produce new packaging.
2. Feedstock (chemical) recycling: In this type of recycling, the feedstock is made recyclable to the extent that it is broken down into its original basic materials.
3. Organic waste: Is biologically recycled through fermentation and composting.

 

Incineration is not a recognized recycling method, although it usually generates district heating.

Climate protection through recycling - What does flexible packaging have to do with the recycling rate?

The steady increase in the recycling rate in Germany is just the beginning of a major goal to be achieved in 2030 as part of the "Green Deal" and the associated new EU regulations for packaging.

Another ambitious goal is to halve the amount of waste generated per capita.

This is where flexible packaging comes into play: resources are already saved during their production and less packaging material is needed for the respective products. With this type of packaging, it is conceivable to achieve this goal.

The advantages of flexible packaging lie in its nature. This is because, in principle, any packaging - regardless of whether it is made of cardboard, paper, aluminum or plastic - can be flexible packaging.

The term flexible packaging thus includes any packaging that is kept as small as possible in size and thus does not exceed the size of the product.

These are custom-made products for any kind of product - whether it is a shipping carton that matches the size of the goods to be shipped or a food packaging that serves the purpose of packaging a microwave dish in appropriate portions.

The principle of flexible packaging is therefore to use as little material as possible, thereby minimizing the amount of waste from the outset. Furthermore, a great many resources can be saved in this way that would otherwise be needed for production and the packaging itself.

This should make far too large packaging and the associated waste of materials a thing of the past. This is an important step towards more environmental protection and sustainability.

Moreover, since flexible packaging is made from materials that can be recycled, the recycling rate can also be significantly increased through the use of flexible packaging.

In the case of flexible packaging, therefore, the following clearly applies: "Less is clearly more!"

Conclusion - Flexible packaging offers numerous advantages and has a positive effect on the recycling rate

Compared to the time before 2019, packaging nowadays performs much better in terms of sustainability: waste of materials and resources can be avoided through flexible packaging.

Since flexible packaging can be used in the food segment as well as for non-food goods and also contributes to the conscious use of resources, it can be said with a clear conscience that it is an asset to the environment.

Maximum sustainability is achieved by using a minimum of material.

Flexible packaging is therefore essential in our view to achieve the new recycling quota targets by 2030.

FAQ

Question: What is flexible packaging made of?
Answer: Flexible packaging is packaging made of plastic, paper, cardboard or aluminum. A combination of the previously mentioned materials is also possible.

Question: Why is it necessary to increase the recycling rate?
Answer: To date, the environment has been very much affected by pollution. Therefore, it is essential to avert further pollution and waste of elementary raw materials.

Question: May packaging that does not count as flexible packaging continue to be used in the future?
Answer: No, because the Packaging Act has changed significantly, so that packaging will have to meet a much higher standard in terms of sustainability in the future.