Setting out its position on Thursday 24 May on the first plastics strategy presented by the European Commission in January (see EUROPE 11940), the UEAPME (European Association of Craft, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) argues that awareness-raising campaigns should be central to the strategy to change the way society deals with plastics.
Extended producer responsibility schemes adapted to SME manufacturers so that they suffer no discrimination and a holistic approach for legislation stemming from the strategy are also among the UEAPME suggestions.
“To implement set targets in the waste sector, technical feasibility and practicability of solutions need to be considered”, said UEAPME Secretary General Véronique Willems.
With the Commission about to present a draft directive on Monday 28 May with the aim of reducing consumption of single-use plastic products (see EUROPE 12025), the UEAPME makes clear what it means by a holistic approach: it “includes the analysis of the ecological impacts of products used as substitutes and of the socio-economic benefits of the plastic products to be replaced, such as single-use plastics”. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)