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Page 1 Conference Book 18.09.2012
Conference notes from the
4th European ReUse Conference
Günther Guder, CEGROBB ........................................................................ 2
Karl Falkenberg, European Commission, Director General Environment .......... 3
Jürgen Resch (for Thomas Fischer), German Environmental Aid (DUH) ........... 5
Mirco Wolf Wiegert, fritz-kola GmbH ......................................................... 6
Roland Demleitner, Association of small and independent breweries in Europe 7
Matthias Groote, MEP, Chair Committee on the Environment, Public Health
and Food Safety ........................................................................................ 8
Jürgen Resch, German Environmental Aid (DUH) ....................................... 10
Víctor Mitjans Sanz, Fundació Catalana per a la Prevenció de Residus i el
Consum Responsable ............................................................................... 11
Georges Lentz, Brasserie Bofferding ........................................................ 12
3rd European Refillable Award .............................................................. 13
Keynote speech .................................................................................... 15
Press Release ....................................................................................... 18
Page 2 Conference Book 18.09.2012
Opening of the conference by the president of CEGROBB,
Günther Guder
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,
As president of Cegrobb, the association of beer
and beverage wholesalers from nine countries, and
in the name of the Association of small and
independent breweries in Europe as well as the
German Environmental Aid, I would like to
welcome you to our fourth ReUse Conference. We
are happy that we can count participants from
several EU member states amongst our guests.
In this connection, I would also like to say “thank
you” to our sponsors: “Spadel” and “Sinalco”. Their
support contributes to the possibility of showing
the advantages of perfectly working reuse systems
within this event.
Once again, we would like to prove that the reuse system is literally “alive” and
developing continually. This will be illustrated by many examples. Therefore, we are
very happy that, despite this time of changes, you take an active part in the
discussion about reuse systems as an important contribution to an eco-friendlier and
more sustainable economy.
Many interested members of the European Parliament, their assistants and several
departments of the European Commission, who unfortunately cannot be here today,
explicitly asked for a summary of the conference’s most important results. They want
to keep up to date and seek dialogue with us after the conference. We are happy
about their interest – and of course – we will do that.
Today, we will offer you an interesting and diverse program as well as top-class
speakers and I am proud to welcome Mr Karl Falkenberg to this conference. Thank
you for your time Mr Falkenberg! But before giving the floor to you, I would also like
to thank you for your recent release of the “Guidance on the interpretation of key
provisions of Directive 2008/98/EC on waste”. From our point of view, you thereby
provided clarity that reusable packaging is excluded from waste. Instead, it is
assigned to the highest level of the waste hierarchy: waste prevention. Therefore,
reusable packaging is no longer a waste management measure – but it is important
on its own and meets the European primary goal of preventing waste.
Dear Mr Falkenberg, Director General Environment of the European Commission, we
are now looking forward to your elucidations.
Page 3 Conference Book 18.09.2012
Key note speech
Key note speech for opening the conference from Karl Falkenberg, European Commission, Director General
Environment
In his key note speech Mr Falkenberg emphasized the
necessity of more efficient and sustainable ways for
dealing with waste. The best way would be producing no
waste from the outset. Moreover, he pointed out that in
this context reusable systems are one of the most
sensible measures as they meet the primary objective of
the European waste hierarchy: waste prevention.
He brought into consideration that there are huge global
changes not only caused by an increase with regard to
demographic growth but also in line with an increase of
consumption and improving lifestyles. In his opinion,
there is no other possibility to face these challenges but
change. Otherwise the earth will be run over by a
“tsunami of waste” because people risk taking their
planet to its limit. Without any change, a quantity of natural resources equate to the
yield of 2 ½ earths will be needed until 2015. Therefore Mr Falkenberg urged to
“better bring our way of producing in line with the planet” and to move in cycles. He
hereby highlighted exemplary reusable pool bottles used across six countries in the
EU.
He warns that if mankind continues to downgrade resources, the earth may collapse.
This is the reason why every effort must be made to move more efficiently in the
direction of the waste hierarchy. Therefore, the highest form of dealing with waste is
not producing it. He thereby established a direct link between waste prevention and
reusable systems.
Mr Falkenberg predicts that waste will come into the centre of economic systems.
Concerning the waste area, 400,000 new jobs can be implemented if just the waste
regulations that are already adopted will be implemented in all 27 EU Member
States. This is a sector that can create additional growth and finance itself because
the materials needed already exist. Using this chance will support innovation and
new technologies. Moreover, it can help replacing what we do not have – natural
resources. Eco design, which means thinking about resource efficiency from the
outset, can be an additional measure but still these products need to be collected
separately. Not only with regard to an ecologic but also from an economic point of
view, recycling seems to be a sustainable as well as efficient way. This can be seen
in the comparison of the gold yield obtained from mining and the one obtained from
the recycling of electronic devices which is already paying off.
Page 4 Conference Book 18.09.2012
Some EU Member States might forgo growth, innovation and jobs because of
avoiding administrative efforts to implement the EU waste regulations. Still the ways
of waste treatment differ widely within the EU, from 1% landfilling up to 90%. Mr
Falkenberg therefore demands for an equalisation of different ways of waste
disposals. He concluded with his key message that we need to export our waste
models to developing countries by making them known and sharing our experiences.
Page 5 Conference Book 18.09.2012
Sustainability check of beverage packaging
Key facts and figures from the independent PwC-study on different types of beverage packaging, Jürgen Resch,
Executive Manager, German Environmental Aid (DUH)
For the first time, the PwC study on
deposit systems launched by DUH did a
sustainability check on systems for
collection and recycling of beverage
containers.
The PwC study regarded the three
different systems for collection and
recycling: refillable bottles (with
deposit), one-way (single use) beverage
containers with deposit, one-way beverage containers in curbside collection
systems (no deposit); and the different kinds of beverage packaging (glass
bottles (refillable and one-way), PET bottles (refillable and one-way), beverage
cans, beverage cartons.
The main findings of the PwC study were:
Refillable systems are more sustainable than one-way systems
Deposit systems are more sustainable than curbside collection of beverage
containers
Deposit systems for beverage containers enable higher collection rates and
better recycling
Deposit system for one-way beverage containers is not more expensive than
curbside collection
Deposit system for one-way beverage containers is more cost efficient than
curbside collection
Deposit systems and curbside collection can coexist well
Political measures (in addition to deposit on one-way containers) are
necessary to promote refillable systems.
In all three pillars of sustainability refillable bottles beat one-way beverage
packaging systems, e.g. in the categories resources use, global warming,
ecological packaging design, system costs, start-up difficulties, product diversity,
employment, implementation of producer responsibility.
The PwC study concluded that refillable systems need political support.
Page 6 Conference Book 18.09.2012
Deliberate decision for a sustainable company: rely on
refillables from the beginning, Mirco Wolf Wiegert, Executive Manager, fritz-kola GmbH
The soft drink company fritz-kola GmbH
relied on refillables from the beginning
and to do this, they appealed on the
bottling company Friedrich Lütvogt
GmbH & Co.KG.
When developing their premium soft
drink for young urban consumers, they
wanted to use eco-friendly and efficient
bottling. Therefore they compared
refillables versus one-way to base their decision on solid information. As an
example, Mr Wiegert mentioned the comparison of cans and refillable bottles.
They chose glass refillables because of ecological and economical reasons.
Therefore, they were happy when their bottling partner decided to invest into a
new bottling plant for refillable glass-bottles. Lütvogt’s new eco-fill bottling line
uses 75% less water than the old bottling line and it needs 43% less electric
energy.
And like Dirk Lütvogt, CEO of Friedrich Lütvogt GmbH & Co.KG, says: “qualitative
development of the company rather than quantitative growth at any cost.”
Page 7 Conference Book 18.09.2012
One bottle – unlimited users: Introduction to the
exhibition of refillable bottles, Roland Demleitner,
Executive Manager, Association of small and
independent breweries in Europe (S.I.B.)
Especially in central Europe small and independent
breweries traditionally hang on to the returnable bottle-
system because of its economic and environmental
advantages.
Usually, returnable bottle systems are open pools which
allow using the same bottle cross-borders. Most of the
breweries use standardized bottles which circulate within
these open pool systems. Roland Demleitner presented a
selection of examples for those returnable bottles which
are used by breweries all over Europe. One of the most
popular bottles is the so-called NRW-bottle (Nordrhein-
Westfalen) from Germany which is used by breweries
outside Germany as well.
In 2010 the Private Brauereien Deutschland e.V. made a survey covering 147
breweries to get an overview on the average circulation ratios of standardized
returnable bottles.
The average circulation ratio – dependent on the type of the bottle – is between
33 and 63 times.
The average circulation ratio of the 147 breweries taking part in the survey over
all types of bottles is 50.
These average circulation ratios are similar to those for standardized returnable
bottles being used in other member states.
Small and medium sized breweries made huge investments in the existing returnable
bottle-systems and are therefore existentially dependent on these systems. The most
important message is that returnable bottles in the brewing industry are bringing
greater economic, ecological and socio-economic benefits compared to one way
packaging.
Page 8 Conference Book 18.09.2012
Sustainable packaging: A challenge for the future
Reusable packaging in the European perspective: a smart and sustainable way into the future, Matthias Groote, MEP,
Chair Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety
Matthias Groote pointed out that resource efficiency
and sustainable growth should be key political
priorities for the EU. The European Parliament
believes that the transformation to a sustainable
economy will result in increased competitiveness and
new sources of growth and jobs, through cost
savings from improved efficiency and better
management of resources over their whole life cycle.
It is not only a question of competitiveness and
growth; progress on waste prevention as well as
sustainable consumption and production are issues of
great importance to all EU citizens. Therefore, our
challenge is to ensure that the EU´s waste legislation
and policies play their part in delivering important
and high level political ambitions. He thereby
emphasized the importance of swift and determined action.
He is confident of this Conference examining the practice and development of
refillable packaging systems across various Member States. Within the current
framework, exchange of practice and experience among Member States is crucial
in ensuring the creation and development of effective reuse packaging systems.
Nevertheless, he brings into consideration that the current legislation does not go
far enough. The European Parliament is calling on the Commission to streamline
the waste acquis. The aim is bringing residual waste close to zero. He also
believes that more sustainable waste management practice would act as an
incentive for the industry to develop more efficient waste processes and reduce
inconsistencies in national approaches.
He concluded that the EU urgently needs to re-think its patterns of resource use
over the next decades in order to ensure more sustainable growth and
management of its resources in ways which stimulate new employment
opportunities in innovative sectors. For this reason, he endorses the EU's
resource efficiency agenda and believes that EU waste management and policy
must play their part in delivering these ambitious aims.
Page 9 Conference Book 18.09.2012
Mr Groote assured the participants of this conference of his political support for
initiatives and measures in the beverage packaging sector which are contributing
to these goals. He commended the work that has been done so far, and continues
to be undertaken by the organisations present in the prevention of waste and
development of re-use packaging systems in this sector.
Page 10 Conference Book 18.09.2012
All that glitters is not green: Bioplastics as the new green
washing scam, Jürgen Resch, Executive Manager, German Environmental Aid (DUH)
There is a new trend: Bioplastics are used to give
one-way products an eco-friendly appearance in the
style of reusable products.
One-way plastic bags
One-way drinking cups
One-way yoghurt pots
One-way beverage bottles
One-way ...
The question we have to ask ourselves is: do
bioplastics really have an added value?
When we look at the evaluation of biodegradable
plastics made of renewable resources published by the German Federal
Environment Agency, it is stated that “until now, there are no meaningful
environmental considerations and therefore no statements available concerning
the sustainability of the majority of products made of bio based biodegradable
plastics. In those cases, where consolidated findings are available, they rather
speak against biodegradable plastics made of renewable resources. Solely the
characteristics ‘use of renewable resources’ or ‘being biodegradable’ are not
sufficient to justify an environmental superiority of these materials from the
outset.”
Certain claims of producers and users of bioplastics are untrue or half true:
bioplastics are “CO2-neutral” or “mostly CO2-neutral”
bioplastics products are 100% biodegradable
bioplastics products are “green” and “good for the environment”
bioplastics are made of renewable resources.
We have to minimize the environmental impacts caused by packaging. Packaging
waste needs to be prevented (implementing the highest level of the five-step
waste hierarchy) through the use of reusable packaging and the waiver and
reduction of packaging material. We have to use packaging material with
environmental impacts as low as possible so that we don’t focus on single
environmental issues but on the overall environmental impacts. We have to
secure a high quality recycling of used packaging materials, according to product
responsibility and protecting the environment.
Page 11 Conference Book 18.09.2012
Refillable bottles contributing to European targets for
resource efficiency and waste prevention
Refillable bottles for waste prevention: Initiative to introduce refillable systems in Spain, Víctor Mitjans Sanz,
Fundació Catalana per a la Prevenció de Residus i el Consum Responsable
Víctor Mitjans Sanz explained that the
situation for refillables in Spain is very
bad. They have been in decline in the
90s and remained stable afterwards, but
at a very low level.
His organisation wants to create a
strategy to reintroduce refillables in
Spain. Therefore, on the one hand, they
are creating a level playground by
enhancing producer responsibility and by guaranteeing the right to choose for
consumers and, on the other hand, they want to raise awareness among fillers.
At this moment the producer responsibility is very weak. For glass there is a 47%
separate collection and for plastics and metal it is only 21%. The rest goes to
littering and mixed waste, which represent costs beared by the municipalities.
To lessen the municipal waste, they are trying to install a deposit on the main
beverages (water, soft drinks, beer and juices) and the main packaging materials
(glass, plastic, cans and cartons). In doing so, they hope to lower the municipal
waste by 4.5%.
But to succeed in their intention they need a legal framework and they need to
raise awareness among the fillers.
Page 12 Conference Book 18.09.2012
Refillable bottles for sustainable companies: An example
from Luxemburg, Georges Lentz, Executive Manager, Brasserie Bofferding
Georges Lentz gave a short history of
his family business.
A time ago they were very local oriented
and only local products were sold in
Luxemburg. But then more and more
products were imported, which also
gave Bofferding the opportunity to
widen their range. Nowadays they also
sell their products in the south of
Belgium and the north-east of France. Their sales in the new regions doubled
within 5 years.
Compared to the big players on the market, Bofferding is still very small. Almost
80% of their production is in refillable packaging (kegs and returnable bottles). In
the off trade sector, only about 40% are refillables, but in the on trade one and
with distributors, this rate is about 90%.
Bofferding listens to its clients, and looks at what their needs are. That’s why
they came up with a new crate: 10 x 33 cl. This crate is smaller and lighter.
Therefore it is economical and easier to carry.
Mr Lentz provided a vivid example for the advantages of reusable bottles.
They compared the costs between a returnable crate 24 x 33 cl and a non-
returnable box 24 x 33 cl. The costs for non-returnable ones were about 40 € per
hl higher than for a returnable packaging.
Looking at the volume of waste accruing from a 24x33 cl crate with non-
returnable glass, the weight of waste is almost 5 kg. In contrast, with returnable
glass, this is only 70 grams. Therefore Mr Lentz clearly stated that it is definitely
worth to have returnable bottles.
Page 13 Conference Book 18.09.2012
3rd European Refillable Award
At the ReUse Conference the 3rd European Refillable Award for innovative and pre-
eminent performance promoting or further improving eco-friendly reusable systems
has been awarded. This year’s winner is Friedrich Lütvogt GmbH & Co. KG
Mineralbrunnenbetrieb Auburg-Quelle.
The Friedrich Lütvogt GmbH & Co. KG Mineralbrunnenbetrieb Auburg-Quelle was
established in 1896 as a family company in Wagenfeld (Lower Saxony, Germany).
The beverage producer is already being run by the fourth generation, namely by the
great grandson of the company founder. The main business segments are the
company’s own mineral spring Auburg-Quelle, as well as filling and logistic services
for third parties.
Dirk Lütvogt and his team developed and installed an exceptionally efficient and
therefore sustainable bottling line for refillable bottles. This filling plant represents a
forward-looking technology that is unique in Germany and Europe. Compared to old
plants, this one saves more than 43% of energy and 60% fresh water.
The most important component of this eco-friendly plant is the redesigned bottle
washing machine. Instead of 600 ml per bottle, it only needs 150 ml – less than one
third of the former water consumption. The bottle cleaning machine is solely
provided with regeneratively generated heating from the company’s own combined
heating and power station.
Page 14 Conference Book 18.09.2012
Due to innovative drives of the bottle and crate conveyor belts the energy
consumption decreased by 20%. The majority of the energy needed for the
production is generated by their own solar system.
The company’s product portfolio is also laid out for filling foreign bottles. For bottling
their own water, Auburg-Quelle, they mainly use traditional pool bottles from the
Association of German Wells (Genossenschaft Deutscher Brunnen e.G., GDB). The
savings of energy, heating, fresh and waste water protect the environmental and
keep high-class reuse systems competitive.
Congratulations to the winner!
Website: www.auburg.de
Page 15 Conference Book 18.09.2012
Keynote speech delivered at the conference Reusable Beverage
packaging in Europe: a profitable and sustainable choice, in Brussels, Radisson SAS EU Hotel, on 18 September 2012.
Reusable packaging in the European perspective: a smart and sustainable
way into the future, Matthias Groote, MEP, Chairman - Environment Public
Health and Food Safety Committee, European Parliament
It is a great pleasure to address this 4th
European ReUse Conference on Reuseable
Beverage Packaging in Europe. As
Chairman of the European Parliament's
Environment Committee, I value the efforts
of NGOs and industry in working together
to promote more sustainable packaging
waste systems. I recognise in particular the
continuing constructive collaboration among
Deutsche Umwelthilfe, CEGROBB and S.I.B.
in the area of beverage packaging and notably with the organisation of this 4th
ReUse Conference.
Resource Efficiency and Waste Prevention in the EU
Resource efficiency and sustainable growth should be key political priorities for the
EU. The EU's Flagship Initiative on a "Resource Efficient Europe" is a vital component
of the EU 2020 Strategy and aims at the decoupling of the EU´s economic growth
from resource and energy use and the move towards a resource efficient and low
carbon economy. The European Parliament believes that the transformation to a
sustainable economy will result in increased competitiveness and new sources of
growth and jobs, through cost savings from improved efficiency and better
management of resources over their whole life cycle.
It is not only a question of competitiveness and growth; progress on waste
prevention and sustainable consumption and production is an issue of great
importance to EU citizens ; their involvement will be vital in any move towards a
sustainable economy, particularly in changing attitudes and behaviour in society as
far as resource use is concerned.
Our challenge therefore is to ensure that the EU´s waste legislation and policies play
their part in delivering on these important and high level political ambitions.
Classification of reusable packaging under the Directive
The European Parliament´s Environment Committee has always strongly supported
the EU´s waste hierarchy as now set out in the Waste Framework Directive. This
requires the prioritisation of waste prevention in national waste management
legislation.
Page 16 Conference Book 18.09.2012
Where prevention is not possible in relation to specific waste streams, re-use is
established as the logical next step in securing the best overall environmental
outcome.
This approach is reflected in the objectives of the specific legislation most relevant to
the beverage packaging sector. The Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive places
the prevention of the production of packaging waste at the summit of its hierarchy,
followed by re-use of packaging, recycling and other forms of recovery, so as to
reduce the final disposal of such waste.
I would support the fundamental principle of the Directive, that reuse is considered
preferable in terms of environmental impact and that Member States are encouraged
to develop reuse packaging systems in order to take advantage of the contribution of
such systems to environmental protection. And indeed, the Parliament has recently,
(in its report on the Commission's Resource Efficiency Roadmap) called on the EU to
give priority to activities higher up the waste hierarchy.
Outlook and future developments
This of course leads to the question of what further measures should be taken at EU
level to strengthen the waste hierarchy in the beverage packaging sector. One
proposal is the introduction in the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive, of
targets for prevention and reuse as an extension of the existing recycling and
recovery targets.
In the beverage packaging sector in particular, it is clear that schemes involving
reuse of refillable bottles have a critical role to play. This is particularly the case if we
consider that consumer beverage packaging accounts for at least 20% of total
packaging by weight in the EU.
In that context, it is interesting to reflect so far on the implementation of reuse
systems in Member States. This audience will be well aware for example, that some
Member States have introduced voluntary and others mandatory deposit refund
schemes. Recent research demonstrates that those countries with mandatory deposit
schemes (incl. Germany, Finland, Sweden, Denmark), have achieved significantly
higher reuse rates than those without.
Lack of overall mandatory EU targets can however lead to a fragmented approach in
transboundary situations and means that such schemes do not reach their full
potential.
I therefore welcome that this Conference is today examining the practice and
development of refillable packaging systems across various Member States. Within
the current framework, exchange of practice and experience among Member States
is crucial in ensuring the creation and development of effective reuse packaging
systems.
Page 17 Conference Book 18.09.2012
But the current legislation does not go far enough. The European Parliament is
calling on the Commission to streamline the waste acquit, with a view to bringing
residual waste close to zero. I also believe that more sustainable waste management
practice would act as an incentive to industry to develop more efficient waste
processes and reduce inconsistencies in national approaches.
It is important in addition, not to forget other tools which must be exploited in order
to achieve more sustainable waste management. For example the Parliament is
calling for stronger requirements on Green Public Procurement for products which
have significant environmental impacts and contribute most to the consumption of
key global resources (including land and materials).
In addition, the Parliament is urging the Commission to extend the scope of the
Ecodesign Directive to non-energy related products, in order to optimise the
efficiency of products at source.
It seems that the absence of specific re-use targets in the Packaging and Packaging
Waste Directive has not hindered some innovative approaches in the beverage
packaging sector. It is therefore encouraging to see that this Conference is
dedicating time to some best practice examples from the industry and of course to
the presentation of the 3rd European Refillable Award. This can only lead to greater
understanding of what makes a beverage packaging re-use system - and in
particular deposit refund systems - a success.
Summary
I would like to finish by emphasising that the EU needs urgently to re-think its
patterns of resource use over the next decades in order to ensure more sustainable
growth and management of its resources in ways which stimulate new employment
opportunities in innovative sectors. For this reason, I endorse the EU's resource
efficiency agenda and I believe that EU waste management and policy must play its
part in delivering these ambitious aims.
You can be sure of my political support for initiatives and measures in the beverage
packaging sector which aim to contribute to these goals. I would take this
opportunity to commend the work that has been done so far, and continues to be
undertaken by the organisations present here in the prevention of waste and
development of re-use packaging systems in this sector.
Thank you for the opportunity to address you this afternoon and I wish you success
with the rest of the Conference.
Page 18 Conference Book 18.09.2012
PRESS RELEASE
Re-use of beverage Packaging in Europe:
A profitable and sustainable choice
Reusable packaging offers chances for increased resource
efficiency and waste prevention in the EU: Participants of the
4th ReUse Conference in Brussels demand a higher level of
commitment for reusable packaging systems – Karl
Falkenberg and Matthias Groote, representatives of EU
institutions, open discussion on trends and contribution of EU-
regulations – 3rd European Refillable Award goes to Friedrich
Lütvogt GmbH & Co.KG Mineralbrunnenbetrieb Auburg-Quelle
Brussels, 18 September 2012: The participants of the 4th European ReUse
Conference in Brussels ask for stronger commitment for refillable beverage
packaging from EU Member States. The ambitious implementation of the five step
waste hierarchy and the promotion of reusable systems are important for the
aspired transition into a resource efficient recycling society. The European
Federation of Associations of Beer and Beverages Wholesalers (CEGROBB), the
Association of Small and Independent Breweries in Europe (S.I.B.) and the
German Environmental Aid (DUH) organized the European ReUse Conference on
Tuesday for the fourth time.
“Refillable beverage packaging illustrates how ecological, economical and social
aspects interact. Together they form a sustainable approach for production and
consumption. They prevent packaging waste as well as costs for producers.
Compared to one-way packaging, valuable raw materials and energy can be
saved”, said Günther Guder, President of CEGROBB. He pointed out that several
new initiatives improving refillable systems have been implemented by individual
reuse-oriented beverage producers since the first ReUse Conference in 2007.
Additionally he called for political and legislative support in order to promote
refillable bottles at a European level.
Karl Falkenberg, Director-General Environment of the European Commission,
confirmed that the European Waste Framework Directive gives clear priority for
waste prevention as the first step of the waste hierarchy, before recycling or
other types of waste recovery. In his keynote speech at the ReUse Conference he
said “Prevention is the High form of waste management. In a resource-scarce
environment, dematerialising products and packages makes a lot of sense.
Page 19 Conference Book 18.09.2012
Second best option is re-use and this is particularly valuable in the packaging
sector. The idea of reusing packaging therefore meets the objective of the
European Waste Framework Directive. This is a simple but obvious example how
waste can be prevented. Reusable packaging directly contributes to our
environmental protection objectives and saves valuable resources.” Thereby, he
explicitly highlighted the role of reusable packaging in doing business in
accordance with nature.
Matthias Groote, MEP, Chair Committee on the Environment, Public Health and
Food Safety, opened the discussion on the contributions from the EU Parliament
supporting reusable systems. “With regard to increasingly scarce resources and
the necessity to save energy we need to act with a sense of a vision. To achieve
the objective of a sustainable society we need a behavior modification from one
way to reuse products. Concerning this matter there are clear advantages of
refillables for the environment, in terms of waste prevention, sustainable use of
resources, prevention of littering, and climate protection. Therefore more
European countries should follow these good examples. We feel up to support
reusable packaging.”
In contrast to products in disposable packaging, those filled in reusable bottles
are mostly sold close to where they were produced. As the bottles only need to
be transported over short distances, energy can be saved. Thereby, functional
reuse systems are keeping many regional jobs in the beverage sector. “Reusable
packaging is a sensible way to save resources and support local products as well
as economic structures. Acknowledging this would also honor the contribution to
waste prevention of small and medium-sized reuse-oriented businesses in the
beverage sector. In Germany the reuse quota for beer remained stable at more
than 80% for years – a success that should motivate other EU countries to
strengthen or introduce reuse systems”, said Roland Demleitner, Managing
Director of S.I.B.
Time and again beverage producers use different methods to lead consumers and
politicians to believe in their packaging as eco-friendly alternatives. The one-way
industry is searching eagerly for ways to make single-use packaging socially
accepted. Beverage producers just came up with new Bio-Plastic-Bottles. “In
recent times we revealed several bold attempts of companies that tried to
deceive their own consumers by advertising yoghurt pots or plastic bags made of
bio plastics as non-polluting. But life cycle assessments from bio plastic
packaging do not show any advantage for these packaging-novelties. Much more
they disclose negative tendencies. Significantly, we did not receive detailed
information about life cycle assessments of Bio-Plastic-Bottles until now”,
explained Jürgen Resch, Executive Manager of German Environmental Aid (DUH).
Page 20 Conference Book 18.09.2012
Even if non-refillable bottles are optimized, this will not lead to less waste but
legitimize a throwaway culture the waste hierarchy tries to prevent.
At the ReUse Conference the European Refillable Award for innovative and
eminent performance promoting or further improving eco-friendly reusable
systems was awarded for the third time. This year’s winner was Friedrich Lütvogt
GmbH & Co. KG Mineralbrunnenbetrieb Auburg-Quelle, a German beverage
producer. The company was awarded for its innovative bottling line. Dirk Lütvogt
and his team developed and installed an exceptionally efficient and therefore
sustainable bottling line for refillable bottles. Compared to old filling plants this
one saves more than 43% of energy and 60% of fresh water which helps to keep
reuse systems competitive.
Contact:
Günther Guder
President, CEGROBB, European Federation of Associations of
Beer and Beverages Wholesalers
info@cegrobb.org
Tel +49 1722424950
Jürgen Resch
Executive Director, German Environmental Aid (DUH) and the
ReUse and Recycling Institute
resch@duh.de
Tel. +49 171 364 9170
Roland Demleitner
Managing Director, Association of Small and Independent
Breweries in Europe (S.I.B.)
rd@roland-demleitner.de
Tel. +49 6431 52048