The European Container Glass Federation, FEVE, has welcomed a report by the European Parliament on Food-Contact Materials (FCM), calling for a stronger synergy between the regulation of FCM and the circular economy.
The report emphasises the importance of the safety aspect, regarding health, of materials used in food packaging, whether produced with recycled materials or not. It suggests that an expanding circular economy can pose a safety challenge, through contamination of packaging as a result of the recycling process.
The report recommends that increased recycling targets for FCM, under the Packaging & Packaging Waste Directive, must be accompanied by stricter control measures to improve the traceability of possible contaminants.
"Permanent materials that can be recycled without losing their intrinsic properties [...] should be acknowledged by legislation and supported by policymakers," said Adeline Farrelly, secretary general of FEVE.
"That is one of the reasons why the industry is investing in closed-loop recycling. The recommendations made by the European Parliament’s Report are encouraging, and we hope to see these principles endorsed in the waste legislation."
© 2016 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Martha Sparrius. To subscribe to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine, click here.
