PlasticsEurope fully endorses the objective of stopping waste of any kind, including plastic waste, from being littered and leaking into the environment. This is why we welcome the formal adoption of the SUP Directive by the European Parliament today.

 

In particular, we welcome the advancements of the SUP Directive in terms of acknowledging that the fight against litter is a shared responsibility between competent authorities, producers and consumers. It is only with the help of other stakeholders, including private or public waste operators and local authorities, that plastics manufacturers can take action in order to find workable solutions.

 

We now call for the next step contemplated by the Directive. Setting guidelines on definitions and categories should follow promptly to avoid the risk that different interpretations will prevail among Member States. This could lead to adoption of provisions that could go beyond the requirements of the Directive and hamper the correct functioning of the EU Single Market.

 

This is why we call for the EU Commission to:

i) ensure a highly rigorous monitoring and assessment of the upcoming national transposing measures and;

ii) promptly act to prevent undue market distortions which can cause economic losses without achieving the desired waste prevention objectives.

 

“We will continue working with the value chain and engaging with the relevant policy makers in order to identify and implement the most efficient solutions to prevent littering and develop new ways to boost reuse and recycling.”

We look forward to continuing collaborating with the relevant stakeholders at both EU and national level in order to make sure that plastics will contribute to achieving a circular and resource efficient Europe.