Page 49 - FINAT Yearbook 2019

packaging is currently ongoing. Importantly for our industry, the Commission will review the illustrative examples of packaging in the Directive, with release paper of self-adhesive labels being one of the focus points. This will require close attention and involvement from our side!
Of course, the influence of the Circular Economy Package doesn’t end there. Rules for landfilling have been tightened in Directive 2018/850, which entered into force on 4 July 2018 and stipulates that as of 2030, all waste suitable for recycling or other recovery shall not be landfilled. No wonder that we start to see a push from not only consumers, but also retail and brand owners for alternative end-of-life scenarios. It is good to see our industry respond with a wide range of initiatives to lower the environmental impact of our products, as described in the article on recycling in this Yearbook.
RECYCLABILITY GUIDELINE
To answer the growing demand for sustainability, the paper value chain is developing a Recyclability Guideline. Goal is to help retailers and brand owners take recyclability of the product into account in the design phase. FINAT, through our involvement in the European Paper Recycling Council (ERPC) and CITPA, is actively providing
input into this document to ensure it offers a good reflection of the current state-of-the-practice and state-of-the- art in terms of recycling possibilities for our materials.
WIDENING OUR NETWORK
While FINAT has always had a strong representation in the various Paper and Board platforms, we are now working to establish closer connections with plastics industry. As a start, we have joined Petcore, a platform representing the complete PET value chain in Europe, where one of the focus points is the impact of self-adhesive labels on the recyclability of PET bottles. Given the developments highlighted earlier, a close watch on regulatory developments for plastics and involvement in technical work to ensure that labels match the requirements of the plastic packaging and recycling value chain is critical!
Similarly, we have joined the REACH Cross-sector group, as well as the food contact cross-sector group in order to exchange information and where necessary build alliances to help promote our interests.
BREXIT
At last, the B-word. For a topic that has been fiercely debated for so long, preciously little is known about the final shape the planned departure of the UK
from the European Union will take. Whatever it will look like, one thing is clear: its impact cannot be underestimated.
Especially from a perspective of supply-chains for chemicals, many companies, including FINAT members, stand to be impacted. With a possible no-deal Brexit, UK companies buying chemicals from the EU would become importers under a UK equivalent of REACH, whereas any company in the EU buying chemicals from the UK would become an importer under REACH with the corresponding registration requirements. Unfortunately, while these scenarios are relatively clear cut, there are many other possible scenarios and we advise members to keep a close watch on developments. A good starting point is: https://echa. europa.eu/uk-withdrawal-from-the-eu
BREF STS
Finally, the revision of the Reference document for best available techniques for surface treatment using solvents (BREF STS) has been pushed back, with the release of the final document now expected early next year. The final draft confirmed that self-adhesive labels will not be covered in the document, after we have provided information on our industry to the EU Joint Research Centre.
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