Representative group EuroCommerce has welcomed the European Commission’s proposal on banning avoidable single-use plastics, but has expressed concerns over the 'practicalities' of such a move.
EuroCommerce said retailers and wholesalers want to play their part in combating littering, now and in the future, but that the burden 'needs to be shared among all stakeholders, from producers to consumers’.
Shared Responsibility
‘The sector is in the middle between producers and consumers, and collection, recycling and cleaning of litter cannot be its responsibility alone,’ the company said in a statement.
‘EuroCommerce has questions on the practicality and impact of some measures. One must look hard at questions of extended producer responsibility, hygiene, safety and convenience.’
EuroCommerce director-general, Christian Verschueren, commented, "Extended producer responsibility must not mean supermarkets ending up as waste collectors.
"We can act as an enabler of sustainable behaviour for our many million customers, but other players, including many industries and government, have to step to the plate as well."
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
The group highlighted that the retail sector has been a leader in tackling single-use plastic waste, saying that the sector has been acting against the use of plastics long before this proposal.
The statement detailed the retail and wholesale sector's numerous measures to diminish plastic use, including encouraging customers to collect and return their plastic waste, increasing their share of recycled products and carrier bags made of renewable plastics, and encouraging reduced packaging refills of body care products.
In addition to these measures, the sector is also engaged in supporting behavioural change through awareness and information campaigns.
© 2018 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Aidan O'Sullivan. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
