AUSTRALIA: The threat of legislative mandates may have provided an
incentive to Australia's beer and soft drink industries to unveil a
voluntary waste reduction plan to help meet government waste reduction
goals. The program includes waste minimization targets for containers,
improvements in packaging material, more public recycling centers and
litter management programs. The threat of container deposits led Sydney
based Coca-Cola Atamil LTD (CCA) to begin producing their own PET bottles
with 25% recycled content. Production will begin in January and will be
fully operational by the end of 1998. Coke had been buying its recycled
content bottles from a supplier, but according to Ian Brown, CCA's
corporate affairs manager, making their own bottles lowers the cost
significantly.
ISRAEL: An ambitious new packaging proposal will be considered by the
Israeli Parliament (The Knesset) in its January session. The proposal,
still in draft form, covers all types of packaging and products with the
exception of paper. It would place a deposit on all recyclable packaging,
and a tax on all non-recyclable packaging. A hearing is expected early next
year in the House Economics Committee.
ARGENTINA: A federal law has been proposed that would place deposits on
all non-degradable packaging. The deposit would be refundable when the
packaging is returned for recycling. Other proposals mandate that all
products currently sold in plastic be packaged in glass containers.
SPAIN
According to Recycling Laws International, Spain has implemented a new
packaging law which requires deposits on all household packaging unless a
third party collects the materials for recycling. Most manufacturers have
chosen the "third-party collection" option. All refillable beverage
containers are exempt from the law.
Recycling Laws International, Oct - Nov., 1997
DENMARK
Denmark continues to refuse to lift its national ban on all aluminum
beverage cans despite pressure from the European Commission. The EC argues
that the can ban violates EU directives on packaging. In response to EC's
argument, Danish officials point to their 99% rate of return for refillable
glass bottles.
BRAZIL: A new bill aimed at increasing container recycling is being drafted
in Brazil. The bill includes the following provisions: 1) bottlers of
drinks, combustible oils, cosmetics and detergents would be made legally
responsible for the disposal of the product, and 2) bottlers would be
required to maintain recycling centers.
Recycling Laws International, Aug.- Sept., 1997
'COOL CAN' GENERATES SOME HEAT IN EUROPE: Fierce pressure from the European
Commission and other groups, citing the negative effect on global warming,
have dissuaded The Joseph Company of Laguna Niguel, CA from going forward
with its self-chilling, 'cool can'. The cool can, which was being produced
on a pilot line in the United Kingdom, reduces the temperature of its
contents from 75 degrees F (24 degrees C) to 45 degrees F (7 degrees C) in
90 seconds.
UK's environment minister, Michael Meacher claims the hydrofluorocarbon
refrigerant (HFC 124a) used to cool the can is up to 3,400 times more likely
to impact the atmosphere than carbon dioxide. Even the companies that
produced the gas (Elf Altochem and ICI) disapproved of the can. According
to a report in Packaging Strategies (10/31/97), Joseph will replace HFC 124a
with a more environmentally benign, low-pressure carbon dioxide cooling
system patented by BOC Group.
Recycling Laws International, Aug.-Sept., 1997
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Pat Franklin, Executive Director
Container Recycling Institute
1911 Ft. Myer Drive Suite 900
Arlington, VA 22209
703/276-9800 fax 276-9587
email: cri@igc.org
web: www.container-recycling.org