ISWA Blog: Plastic Bag Directive Compromised But Important
David Newman, ISWA President explains why the EU Directive on plastic bags, while a compromise, gives a stimulus to the bio-economy and materials from biobased sources… I have resisted a week before writing about the new EU Directive on plastic bags which was finally approved Monday 24th November by the Environment Committee and which will be published within the end of 2014. As many of you know, I worked on this personally since 2011 and am pleased about the decision taken. The Directive calls for reduction targets for the consumption of lightweight, throw away carrier bags in each EU Member State which average out (across the EU) at around 75% by 2025. Member States are permitted to apply the measures they see fit, including taxes, bans and preferential treatment for some materials such as compostable plastics. Further, the EU asked the Commission to study and decide, within two years, whether oxo-degradable plastics are environmentally compatible or not. The new Directive is a compromise and therefore everyone finds something to criticise about its text; I am sure there will be legal challenges to it over the next months too. But this really misses the bigger picture, and the picture is not about whether, in the EU, there are less plastic bags- that is important too in terms of littering and waste reduction but the volumes are tiny, compared to overall waste production. Of course, the signal from the waste prevention perspective is very strong, and a good step for Europe. Instead we should be looking at two important steps this Directive takes: firstly, it strengthens the principle that environmental protection takes precedence over free-trade within the EU market. This is a critical precedent and one which will be challenged in the Courts for certain. Secondly, by allowing compostable plastics an exemption (which each Member State can choose to apply or not) the Directive gives a stimulus to the bio-economy, to the production of materials from biobased sources. This is important for the European chemical industry which struggles to compete with production from traditional petroleum sources and which, in many Member States, is in terminal decline. Europe has a lead in biobased technologies, and this Directive may help consolidate that and the jobs and Investments which are accompanying this new industry. So we have a Directive whose origins lay in public outrage against littering that will help to create new markets, investments and jobs in the chemical industry - it shows just how inter-dependent we all are and that the waste industry plays a key role in industrial development in our continent. David Newman is President of the International Solid Waste Association Read More VIDEO UPDATE - ISWA Blog: Is 70% Recovery Across the EU Achievable? David Newman, President of the International Solid Waste Association, questions whether the EU 70% recovery target is economically viable or desirable for Europe, and asks for your feedback on the matter. ISWA Blog: Spanish Waste Management and the ‘Molecule of the Future’ Spain is a highly developed country but still lags behind the EU targets – especially it lags behind in source separated collection and composting. ISWA Blog: Waste Management in Developing Countries - Where There’s a Will There’s a Way David Newman, President of ISWA, explains why understanding the challenges of waste management in rapidly developing countries, is both fascinating and daunting… ISWA Blog: The Role of Recycling in the Environmental Paradox How much does good waste management cost and how to define "good"? I was having this discussion with several colleagues these past days and it led to some interesting arguments.
