[GreenYes] France applies polluter pays logic to junk mail

["Bill Sheehan" <bill@no.address>]

    France applies polluter pays logic to junk mail

 

 

        Environment Daily 2053, 07/03/06

 

Distributors of unsolicited mail in France will have to help pay for
recycling of the resultant waste under a decree agreed by the council of
ministers last week. The sector has been put on notice that if it fails to
cooperate the government will introduce a junk mail tax.

 

Under the decree, distributors can pay into a fund that will then support
recycling by local authorities or they can pay for advertising to encourage
consumers to recycle waste. The government says it will decide on payment
levels later this year after consulting with interested parties.

 

French households receive an average of 40kg of unsolicited printed
materials every year, according to the French environment ministry. 

Local authorities put the cost of recycling printed materials at about
?150/tonne, currently all borne by local taxpayers. At this rate, recycling
half of all junk mail in France would cost ?75m.

 

*The decree is designed to help meet an official target of reducing the
amount of household waste going to landfills or incinerators to 200kg per
person per year within ten years (ED 22/09/05

<http://www.environmentdaily.com/19463>).*

 

*Follow-up: *French environment ministry
<http://www.ecologie.gouv.fr/sommaire.php3>, tel: +33 1 42 19 20 21, plus
press release <http://www.ecologie.gouv.fr/article.php3?id_article=5254> and
decree <http://admi.net/jo/20060302/DEVP0640001D.html>.

 

/Bill Sheehan



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