FoodDrinkEurope Calls Attention to the Cause of Littering

FoodDrinkEurope says that preventing litter should be the cornerstone of a European policy approach to waste management; the organization reacted after the European Parliament adopted a report on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment.

FoodDrinkEurope is concerned that the outcome of today’s plenary vote fails to address the root cause of littering. This must be taken forward through a comprehensive, shared and holistic approach to education, innovation and infrastructure, and law enforcement. The recently reviewed Waste Framework Directive and the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive include effective tools to reach these goals, including EPR for packaging.

“The food and drink industry regrets the missed opportunity to better frame the scope of the Commission proposal and provide certainty for producers to operate throughout the single market,” FoodDrinkEurope says.

FoodDrinkEurope members are striving to improve waste management practices at every stage along the food supply chain, always prioritizing and ensuring food safety.

Europe’s food and drink sectors are committed to stepping up efforts to improve plastics use, reuse and recycling as well as maximizing the use of available resources.

As reflected in FoodDrinkEurope’s “Sustainable Packaging Roadmap: Unwrapping the potential”, many food and drink organizations are already taking significant actions to find new and innovative ways to address the issue of plastic use by working towards 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging by 2025 or earlier  or reaching 25% recycled content in plastic bottles.