Delay in EU Implementing Act leaves “longer period of uncertainty”

After a delay in the European Union (EU) Implementing Act on harmonised waste sorting labelling, the OPRL is not anticipating a long delay, despite the target date of 12 August being passed.

The Act is a key element of PPWR legislation, which has a primary objective of reducing the environmental and health impacts associated with packaging throughout its life cycle.

The full details of the labels will be confirmed in the Act, but it is anticipated that they will follow the Joint Research Council (JRC) proposal, which employs a standardised pictogram-based label to represent material composition. Waste receptacles are also expected to be required to carry matching pictogram-based labels, to enable the consumer to sort their waste correctly.

Jude Allan, managing director at the UK’s voluntary labelling organisation, OPRL, said: “While any delay to the start of implementation leaves brands with a slightly longer period of uncertainty, the timeline – once the Act is announced – still allows two years’ implementation time. Once the EU’s plans are clear, the UK can also move forward with plans for its own mandatory label under pEPR.

“Like many areas of legislation, the final outcome may look simple, but OPRL’s experience over the last 17 years shows how complicated and nuanced the process can be. In the case of PPWR, legislators have had to consider areas like sorting capability across multiple members states, and how to address language issues. Whatever the process, the bottom line is, that if we don’t communicate with consumers around recycling, we cannot expect them to do the right thing.”

Allan concluded: “Recent OPRL research demonstrates the importance of clear communication with consumers to achieve the necessary levels of recycling. So we are pleased to see that brands are still likely to be able to include instructions next to the PPWR label. OPRL’s latest research shows conclusively that consumers respond positively to calls to action. In our survey, 78 per cent of respondents said they would be likely to rinse packaging that included a call to action, compared with 51 per cent where no action was recommended. Positive actions all make a difference to the quality of the material being recycled, which is what we are all working to achieve.”