Some 20,000 cubic meters of waste float on Lake Potpecko in Serbia: plastic bottles, cans, old refrigerators and other rubbish.
The floating pollution threatens to clog the dam’s hydroelectric power station in the lake. Since last week, the Serbian authorities have sent two boats to the lake, collecting up to 100 cubic meters of plastic and other rubbish every day.
-
An estimated 40 percent of litter in the Netherlands and Belgium is said to consist of beverage packaging (Photo: Karolina Grabowska)
Serbia is not the only European country affected by plastic pollution. Plastic is everywhere.
About 85 percent of the litter on beaches consists of plastic. Five-out-of-ten most-found items on beaches are plastic packaging.
And almost two-thirds of all plastics consumers throw away, is packaging waste. Who wants to tackle plastic pollution, should look at packaging.
Currently, environmental policy on packaging waste is largely in the hands of the packaging industry itself, through Green Dot organisations.
This creates a conflict of interest, because the industry that benefits from the sale of as many individual bottles, wrappers, cans and trays as possible, is the same industry that takes back, recycles and prevents that packaging.
Through lobbying and influencing tactics, Green Dot organisations – the packaging sector – try to prevent more responsibility and costs from being placed with producers, according to this investigation into seven Green Dot organisations in Europe.
A key player is the Brussels lobby organization EXPRA, a platform representing the interests of many Green Dot organisations, with the mission “to ensure the recovery and recycling of packaging waste in the most economically efficient and ecologically sound manner.”
Via lobbying documents to the European Commission, which we consulted through freedom of information, we gained insight into the positions of the Green Dot organisations EXPRA stands for.
We documented lobbying against various European plans for plastic packaging, such as the mandatory increase of the recycled plastic content in PET bottles, the mandatory introduction of a deposit system or higher contributions from the industry to litter cleanup.
The central thread in these lobbying practices can be found in the mission of EXPRA: “ensuring low costs to [our members’] client companies”.
The power of Green Dot organisations
But first: how is the packaging industry involved in environmental policy?
Via the principle ‘the polluter pays’, all producers of packaging – such as Coca-Cola or Unilever – in Europe are obliged to take back a part of their packaging.
It would be inefficient if producers would take back and recycle their own wrappers and bottles. Instead, producer responsibility organisations do this for them, in exchange for a contribution.
These organisations ‘conduct’ the collection, sorting and recycling of packaging, like a conductor in an orchestra. They pay municipalities and sorting centres to work for them, sell usable raw materials such as PET to recyclers and ensure that the rest of the waste goes to incineration or landfill.
The best-known and largest group of producer responsibility organisations for consumer packaging can be recognised by the Green Dot logo, a symbol that a company paid a fee to process their waste.
In some countries, where Green Dot organisations have a monopoly, their influence is particularly great.
This is the case in Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic or Austria.
In other countries, such as Germany and Poland, Green Dot organisations share the waste market with other producer responsibility organisations and their power is more limited.
In many countries, Green Dot organisations do more than handle waste: they are strongly involved in prevention and litter policy, for example by financing that policy, by promoting sustainable packaging design or by funding clean-up organisations such as Mooimakers in Flanders, NederlandSchoon in the Netherlands or Reinwerfen in Austria.
Almost all Green Dot organisations are private non-profit organisations, fully-owned by their members – the packaging industry.
Although Green Dot organisations carry out a legal requirement, our study shows that few governments succeed in sufficiently controlling or directing Green Dot organisations.
As a result, Green Dot organisations have de facto great autonomy and power when it comes to processing packaging waste.
According to the EU Transparency Index, EXPRA participated between 2015 and 2019 in activities on the themes of circular economy, new waste legislation and plastics-related policy, such as the EU Plastics Strategy and the Single Use Plastics Directive.
Opposing deposit systems
Across Europe, Green Dot organisations are protesting against a mandatory introduction of deposit-refund systems.
A deposit is very suitable to keep plastics out of the environment. The seven countries where most PET bottles are collected after use, such as Germany or Lithuania, all have a deposit system, with collection figures of 90 percent or more.
And while all European countries are obliged to collect nine-out-of-ten plastic bottles by 2029, many Green Dots oppose deposit systems.
The reason? In countries such as Belgium, Austria and the Czech Republic, where a ‘selective collection system’ has been developed over the years (with waste bags or yellow garbage cans) such a deposit system is a threat to the investments made by the Green Dot organisations.
Green Dot organisations claim similar results by intensifying their current collection system.
But how does this bag and container system really perform?
In countries with selective collection, litter figures continue to rise – despite industry efforts.
In addition, the data with which Green Dot organisations argue that their collection and recycling is under discussion in all the countries studied.
A recent report by the European Court of Auditors states that estimates are often inaccurate, are hardly controlled by the authorities and not comparable. More accurate numbers will reduce the reported collection and recycling rates significantly, the report warns.
In the meantime, beverage packaging continues to end up in the environment: an estimated 40 percent of litter in the Netherlands and Belgium is said to consist of beverage packaging.
Yet it is mainly the local authorities – taxpayers – who bear the costs of cleaning up that litter.
And these are high: although there are no European figures, member states assess annually between €100m to €700m in clean-up costs.
Green Dot organisations only bear a small part of that cost: at maximum, one-tenth, according to our calculations for the Netherlands and Flanders.
Clean-up costs
Green Dot organisations are also opposed to the European intention to pass on the full clean-up cost to packaging producers, as evidenced in this example, joint statement from 2018.
Remarkable in this regard is the relationship between many Green Dots and litter organisations such as NederlandSchoon, Mooimakers and BeWapp in Belgium, Reinwerfen in Austria and Paisaje Limpio in Spain.
These clean-up organisations, financed by Green Dot organisations, encourage citizens to take more responsibility for litter. Although necessary and useful, critics argue that these litter organisations might act like lightning rods for more responsibility for the industry.
Because although deposit systems can prevent packaging from ending up in a verge or ditch, these litter organisations are structurally opposing the introduction of deposits.
In addition, many of them are directly involved in Clean Europe Network, a pan-European platform criticised for representing the interests of the packaging industry.
What Green Dot organisations do want, as has emerged from various letters from EXPRA to the Commission that we consulted through freedom of information, is national flexibility.
But control of government bodies is generally inadequate, we documented, and environmental movements are also banned from the cockpit of Green Dot organisations.
As a matter of fact, EXPRA strives to ensure that packaging companies keep the reins of Green Dot organisations themselves as much as possible, because then “…they have control over the expenditure for all activities of the (…) organisation and will keep costs to the minimum necessary in their own interest.”
Still, strong government and environmental movements are a necessary watchdog when it comes to social and ecological consequences of recycling and waste policy.
Because there is a conflict of interest ingrained in the system with Green Dot organisations. Plastic packaging is cheap and small packaging provides large profit margins.
The system with Green Dot organisations is aimed at achieving minimum mandatory percentages at the lowest cost possible.
Today, how we recycle plastic packaging, is primarily a matter of cost savings for the packaging industry. This distracts the focus from the essence of that waste policy: protecting our living environment.
In the meantime, the bill is being passed on to society: millions of euros in cleaning up costs for litter, loss of income due to plastic pollution, repair costs to a dam in Serbia.
EXPRA was not available for a statement.
thank you for the amazing post
thank you so much for this astonishing web site me and my family precious this self-complacent and insight
I’m now not sure where you’re getting your information, but great topic.
I must spend some time finding out more or understanding more.
Thank you for great info I was searching for this info for my mission.
you’re actually a good webmaster. The website loading speed is incredible.
It sort of feels that you’re doing any unique trick. Also, The contents are masterwork.
you’ve performed a wonderful process on this matter!
you are actually a good webmaster. The website loading speed is incredible.
It kind of feels that you’re doing any unique trick. Furthermore, The contents are
masterpiece. you’ve performed a fantastic job
on this topic!
Magnificent site. A lot of useful info here. I am sending it to some pals ans additionally sharing in delicious.
And obviously, thanks to your sweat!
Hello Dear, are you actually visiting this web page on a regular basis, if so then you will
without doubt take fastidious knowledge.
Good article. I certainly love this website. Keep it up!
I like it when people come together and share views. Great website, keep it up!
Hey! I know this is kinda off topic but I was wondering which blog
platform are you using for this website? I’m getting sick and tired of WordPress because I’ve
had issues with hackers and I’m looking at options for another platform.
I would be great if you could point me in the direction of a good platform.
I don’t even know how I ended up here, but I thought this post was good. I don’t know who you are but definitely you are going to a famous blogger if you are not already 😉 Cheers!
Good article. I definitely love this website. Keep writing!
I wanted to thank you for this fantastic read!! I certainly enjoyed every little bit of it. I’ve got you book marked to check out new stuff you post
Incredible! This blog looks exactly like my old one! It’s on a completely different topic but it has pretty much the same layout and design. Great choice of colors!
Hi, i read your blog occasionally and i own a similar one and i was just wondering if you get a lot of spam responses? If so how do you prevent it, any plugin or anything you can suggest? I get so much lately it’s driving me mad so any help is very much appreciated.
Hey very interesting blog!
This is a good tip especially to those new to the blogosphere. Short but very accurate information Thanks for sharing this one. A must read article!
I think this is one of the most significant information for me. And i’m glad reading your article. But wanna remark on few general things, The website style is great, the articles is really excellent : D. Good job, cheers
Thank you for any other fantastic article. Where else may anyone get that kind of information in such a perfect means of writing? I have a presentation next week, and I am at the look for such information.
Nice post. I learn something new and challenging on sites I stumbleupon everyday. It will always be helpful to read content from other writers and practice a little something from their websites.
Hi, Neat post. There is a problem together with your web site in internet explorer, may check this? IE still is the marketplace leader and a big component to folks will omit your fantastic writing due to this problem.
hey there and thank you for your information I’ve definitely picked up anything new from right here. I did however expertise a few technical issues using this web site, since I experienced to reload the site a lot of times previous to I could get it to load properly. I had been wondering if your web hosting is OK? Not that I am complaining, but sluggish loading instances times will often affect your placement in google and can damage your high quality score if advertising and marketing with Adwords. Anyway I’m adding this RSS to my e-mail and can look out for a lot more of your respective fascinating content. Make sure you update this again soon.
Hi, I log on to your new stuff daily. Your story-telling style is awesome, keep up the good work!
It’s not my first time to pay a visit this website, i am visiting this website dailly and get good data from here daily.
Heya! I just wanted to ask if you ever have any trouble with hackers? My last blog (wordpress) was hacked and I ended up losing many months of hard work due to no data backup. Do you have any solutions to prevent hackers?
I enjoy what you guys are usually up too. This sort of clever work and exposure! Keep up the amazing works guys I’ve added you guys to our blogroll.
Appreciate the recommendation. Will try it out.
Hmm is anyone else having problems with the images on this blog loading? I’m trying to find out if its a problem on my end or if it’s the blog. Any feed-back would be greatly appreciated.
Heya i’m for the first time here. I came across this board and I find It truly useful & it helped me out a lot. I hope to give something back and help others like you helped me.
If you want to get much from this post then you have to apply such techniques to your won blog.
This is a topic that’s close to my heart… Many thanks! Where are your contact details though?
I always used to read post in news papers but now as I am a user of internet thus from now I am using net for articles or reviews, thanks to web.
I’ve read some just right stuff here. Definitely worth bookmarking for revisiting. I wonder how much attempt you put to create this sort of great informative site.
Good day I am so grateful I found your web site, I really found you by mistake, while I was researching on Google for something else, Nonetheless I am here now and would just like to say thank you for a remarkable post and a all round enjoyable blog (I also love the theme/design), I don’t have time to look over it all at the minute but I have saved it and also included your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to read a lot more, Please do keep up the fantastic job.
Greate article. Keep writing such kind of information on your blog. Im really impressed by your site.
Thanks for finally writing about > %blog_title% < Liked it!
When I originally commented I clicked the “Notify me when new comments are added” checkbox and now each time a comment is added I get four emails with the same comment. Is there any way you can remove me from that service? Thank you!
I have read so many articles or reviews about the blogger lovers but this post is truly a nice post, keep it up.
Pretty section of content. I just stumbled upon your web site and in accession capital to assert that I acquire in fact enjoyed account your blog posts. Any way I’ll be subscribing to your augment and even I achievement you access consistently rapidly.
I am sure this article has touched all the internet users, its really really good article on building up new blog.
Fantastic beat ! I wish to apprentice at the same time as you amend your web site, how can i subscribe for a blog web site? The account aided me a applicable deal. I were tiny bit familiar of this your broadcast provided shiny transparent concept
Hurrah! At last I got a weblog from where I know how to actually take useful data regarding my study and knowledge.
What’s up, after reading this remarkable piece of writing i am also happy to share my familiarity here with mates.
Wow, superb blog format! How long have you been blogging for? you make blogging glance easy. The total glance of your web site is great, let alonewell as the content!
Why viewers still use to read news papers when in this technological world everything is accessible on net?
Hey there just wanted to give you a quick heads up. The text in your content seem to be running off the screen in Safari. I’m not sure if this is a format issue or something to do with web browser compatibility but I thought I’d post to let you know. The style and design look great though! Hope you get the problem solved soon. Many thanks
Usually I do not read article on blogs, however I wish to say that this write-up very pressured me to try and do so! Your writing taste has been amazed me. Thank you, quite great article.
An interesting discussion is worth comment. I believe that you should write more on this issue, it might not be a taboo subject but usually people do not speak about such topics. To the next! Cheers!!
Link exchange is nothing else except it is only placing the other person’s webpage link on your page at proper place and other person will also do same in favor of you.
My brother suggested I would possibly like this blog. He used to be totally right. This post actually made my day. You cann’t consider just how so much time I had spent for this information! Thank you!
great publish, very informative. I wonder why the other experts of this sector do not realize this. You should continue your writing. I am sure, you have a huge readers’ base already!
Excellent web site you’ve got here.. It’s hard to find good quality writing like yours these days. I really appreciate people like you! Take care!!
Hello just wanted to give you a quick heads up. The text in your content seem to be running off the screen in Chrome. I’m not sure if this is a format issue or something to do with web browser compatibility but I thought I’d post to let you know. The style and design look great though! Hope you get the problem solved soon. Kudos
I was wondering if you ever considered changing the layout of your site? Its very well written; I love what youve got to say. But maybe you could a little more in the way of content so people could connect with it better. Youve got an awful lot of text for only having one or two images. Maybe you could space it out better?
This is a good tip especially to those new to the blogosphere. Brief but very accurate information Thank you for sharing this one. A must read article!