Good practise examples: Zero Plastics to
Landfill by 2020 & Vacances Propres
Dr. Martin Engelmann
10th April 2013, Berlin
1
Plastics are part of the Marine Litter
problem…
Source: Ocean Conservancy
The top ten marine debris items removed from the global coastline and
waterways during the 2009 International Coastal Cleanup
discuss decide develop
…but Plastics Industry is part of the solution
Global Action Plan of the plastics industry:
58 Plastics Associations from 32 countries
committed to 140 projects targeting at
1. Education to prevent Marine Litter
2. Research for solutions
3. Public policy
4. Best practices exchange on waste management
5. Recycling and recovering plastics
6. Plastic pellet containment
www.marinelittersolutions.com
2 examples of European projects
focussing on prevention of Marine Litter
Vacances Propres in France
as example of a national initiative
and possible blueprint for European project
Zero Plastics to Landfill by 2020
initiative of the European Plastics
Industry
Landfills are a major source of
land-based Marine Litter
6
Landfilling of plastic waste is still a
major option in many countries
7
Plastic waste going to landfill
(2011):
above 66%
50% - 66%
below 10%,
i.e. landfill ban
33% - 49%
2005
1999+
2006
2004 2006
2009 2005
2016
1996
1997
Date of landfill ban in force
Date of future landfill ban
2016
2014 – Scotland*
* Ban on dry recyclables
8
These 5 countries landfill nearly 80% of Europe’s plastic waste
Plastic Waste landfilled
in kt 2011:
0 500 1.000 1.500 2.000 2.500 3.000
Poland
France
Spain
Italy
UK
7.800 kt
Landfill rate 73%
Landfill rate 49%
Landfill rate 59%
Landfill rate 39%
Landfill rate 62%
Zero Plastics to Landfill by 2020 requires “game changing” measures
9 9
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
2005 2010 2012 2020 2030 2037
= over 1 billion barrels of oil
or 78 billion EUR
80 million
tonnes
Business as usual-Scenario
Zero Plastics to Landfill by 2020
- Scenario
Development since 2005
in
million
tonnes
Plastic waste landfilled in Europe:
How to reach the goal
Best practice exchange in Waste
Management
Accelerating landfill taxes
at national level
EU wide landfill ban
for high calorific waste
10
Vacances Propres – Clean Holidays
• Founded in 1971
• Non-profit association
• joint effort by the packaging and consumer
goods sectors
• Goal: Prevent litter, mainly in holiday areas
• Actions:
• Provide local authorities with bags & bins
• Educate consumers through
communication campaigns
12
Impact & Outlook
13
• Waste collected - Litter prevented:
• 20.000 bins set since 2007
• 2.5 million bags sold in 2012
• 50.000 tonnes of waste collected in 2012
• Network / Reputation
• more than 1,000 local authorities
participate
• 7,400 posters during one summer
• 7 out of 10 people know Vacances Propres
• Outlook:
• Let’s go Europe! Outreach to other countries
is part of the strategy.
• Support by local associations and companies
needed.
Photo © Yannick Vallet
www.vacancespropres.com