Interview: Cees van Dongen, UNESDA, on plastics & packaging recycling

Resource Efficiency: plastics and packaging What standards for enhanced recyclability? Stakeholder Workshop Contributors include: • Julio GARCÍA BURGUÉS, Head of Unit Waste Management, DG ENV • Satu HASSI, MEP (invited) • Cees VAN DONGEN, UNESDA • Stéphane ARDITI, Senior Policy Officer, European Environmental Bureau An event organised by Fondation EurActiv With the support of UNESDA — Union of European Beverages Associations 21 June 2011 12.00– 14.00 EurActiv Network Office, 1 Bd. Charlemagne, 1041 Brussels EurActiv is following closely the roll-out of the European Commission’s Flagship Initiative on Resource Efficiency: we are delighted to invite policymakers and stakeholders to discuss the plastics sector, packaging and recycling. The plastics recycling industry is facing record demand and a raw materials supply issue. And while infrastructure is not growing fast enough to collect the material needed by industry, all-time-high cotton prices are driving more and more PET collected in the developed world abroad, to feed the polyester fiber demand of China and India. How can EU policymaking ease the functioning of the plastics recycling industry in Europe, and help steer European industry and consumption patterns on a more sustainable path? • Packaging makes up 40% of total plastics use in Europe. How will the EU Resource Efficiency initiative contribute to the sustainable use and consumption of plastics in packaging? • Reuse and recycling of plastics can both boost …