European trade body believes beverage companies should give priority to rPET material

The trade body believes that European beverage companies should prioritize access to rPET materials so that they can form a closed loop for plastic bottles and accelerate the transition to a more circular economy
.

The Union of European Soft Drinks Associations (UNESDA), the European Juice Association (AIJN) and the Natural Mineral Waters of Europe (NMWE) say the non-alcoholic beverage industry should be given priority or access to its rPET in the upcoming revision of the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive right of first refusal for materials
.

The groups claim that as the beverage industry continues to invest in recycling and bring highly recyclable PET to the market, it needs to prioritize access to its own recyclable packaging material
.

They add that this will help the beverage industry to produce new food-grade rPET packaging that meets EU food safety standards, while meeting its recycling targets and preventing its rPET from being downgraded for recycling
.

Closing the plastic bottle loop is considered a necessary step for the beverage industry to meet the goals of the EU's Single-Use Plastics (SUP) Directive, while also contributing to a more circular economy in beverage packaging
.

According to the SUP Directive, the beverage industry has to comply with several mandatory requirements, one of which is that the PET in plastic bottles must be food grade in order to comply with EU food safety standards
.

In addition to a mandatory collection target for PET plastic bottles, the directive also requires the beverage industry to use at least 25% recycled content by 2025 and at least 30% by 2030
.

According to the trade body, the commitment of the beverage industry is not only to achieve these EU goals, but to go further and create a closed loop for its PET bottles
.

They suggest that giving the beverage industry equitable access to the amount of PET material it puts on the market and funding its collection is key to promoting efficient bottle-to-bottle recycling
.

Nicholas Hodac, Director General of UNESDA, said that the entire European beverage industry fully supports the EU Green Deal and the Circular Economy Action Plan and is committed to realizing the full cycle of PET bottles
.

He added: "However, for this to happen, we need the European Commission to allow us to give priority to our own recyclable plastic materials in order to meet the EU's recycling obligations and avoid the downward cycle that breaks the cycle of plastic bottles
.
"

"It's fair that we regain the same amount of collected and recycled material and put it on the market to drive circularity
.
"

AIJN Secretary General Wouter Lox said access to the right packaging materials was critical to continue to provide high quality and safe food
.

"This requirement needs to be combined with sectoral commitments to address the EU's Green Deal and Circular Economy Action Plan
.
At every stage of the cycle, therefore, there is a need to ensure access to recycled materials that meet the highest food quality standards, " he claims
.

NMWE's secretary general Patricia Fosselard said PET bottles had become the most collected and recycled item in all of Europe due to significant investment in collection programmes and eco-design
.

She added: "Through well-designed deposit-return schemes, collection rates in several countries have reached over 90 per cent
.
Our members are determined to give every plastic bottle a second life, but they are only able to put it on the market.
This can be done by taking back the material so that we can successfully complete the cycle
.
”