DS Smith proposes measures to combat falling recycling rates for paper packaging
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In view of currently falling recycling rates in Europe and a growing volume of packaging waste, the paper industry could lose large quantities of waste paper by 2030. The British paper and packaging manufacturer DS Smith warns in its position paper "Wasted Paper" that the waste paper will not be recycled but incinerated or sent to landfill.
To prevent this loss of raw materials, DS Smith presents four proposals on how to achieve a 90% recycling rate for paper and cardboard packaging across the EU by 2030.
DS Smith considers the introduction of separate collections to be the most effective measure to increase the recycling rate for paper and cardboard packaging. The contamination of waste paper from separate collections is half that of mixed collections, explained Jonathan Edmunds, Head of Recyclability, Sustainability & Government Affairs - Recycling, DS Smith. This measure leads directly to a significantly higher waste quality and therefore higher recycling rates.
The measures proposed by DS Smith would result in an additional 5 million tonnes of paper and cardboard packaging being recycled in 2030 alone, compared to the current trend, according to DS Smith. This would also ensure that enough raw material is available for the growing demand for new paper and cardboard packaging.
