Stichting Afvalfonds Verpakkingen, now known as Verpact from March 1st, and Valipac, the Belgian organization for the management of industrial packaging, join forces for the implementation of a certification system for plastic recyclers. This collaboration marks the beginning of a European partnership aimed at ensuring that Dutch and Belgian packaging waste is recycled according to European standards, even outside the EU.

Recycling outside the EU

Currently, the Netherlands and Belgium conduct checks on industrial packaging waste that is recycled outside the EU, under strict, legally established conditions. Stichting Afvalfonds Verpakkingen and Valipac aim to better identify the final destinations of industrial plastic packaging waste and conduct audits at local recyclers to ensure compliance with local regulations, permit requirements, as well as environmental, health, and safety standards set by Europe and the Dutch and Belgian governments. Both organizations want to ensure that recycling outside the EU occurs in a similar manner to that within the EU.

Stricter conditions for plastic export

With this collaboration, the two organizations anticipate the consequences of new and stricter European rules and certification requirements for the export of plastic waste in the medium term. From 2026, exporting plastic waste to non-OECD countries is no longer allowed. Export of plastic waste to OECD countries will only be permitted if local facilities undergo an audit prior to export to guarantee that recycling takes place under the same conditions as in Europe, according to the so-called Broadly Equivalent Conditions.

Audit protocol

The Afvalfonds and Valipac work closely on an audit protocol in accordance with the European Regulation on the export of waste. This protocol ensures a uniform interpretation of how the compliance between the final destination of plastic packaging waste and European regulations is assessed, as explained by both entities.

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