The impact of product charges and EU directives on the level of packaging waste recycling in Poland

Abstract

Currently the amount of produced packaging waste, especially that of paper, cardboard, glass and plastics, is increasing year by year. Increasing packaging quantity has forced countries of the European Union to face this problem. The issue is reflected in EU legislation. The European Parliament and Council Directive 94/62/WE of 20 December 1994 further amended by Directives 2004/12/WE and 2005/20/WE, belongs to binding resolutions passed by the European Union. The leading principle of the Directives was to introduce the obligation to provide adequate levels of waste packaging recovery and recycling. The obligation was defined as the percentage of waste packaging recovery and recycling which has to be achieved by EU member countries in relation to the aggregate weight of packaging introduced into the market. Aspiring to join the European Union, Poland was obliged to comply with the environmental protection requirements valid in the Community. Since 1 January 2002, the annual recycling levels of waste packaging are defined in the Ordinance of the Council of Ministers of 30 June 2001. The aim of the present work is to discuss and compare the required and achieved recycling levels of waste packaging (made of plastic, aluminium, paper and cardboard and glass) in Poland in the years 2002–2007 under the influence of EU directives. Featured data show that the required levels of recovery and waste packaging recycling were met and even exceeded in some cases. This result was influenced by the fact that Poland has been a member of the European Union since 1 May 2004. Hence, actions were enforced in Poland pertaining to waste packaging management as well as an obligation to the recycling levels dictated by European directives. An additional stimulus was constituted by a product charge for failing to comply with the recycling target levels.