Packaging Waste Regulations

Everyone produces waste. In England and Wales industry, commerce and households produce over 100 million tonnes each year. This is growing at around 3% each year. While waste cannot be eliminated, we can reduce its environmental impact by preventing waste wherever possible, and making more sustainable use of the waste that is produced. The Government set out its vision for sustainable waste management in Waste Strategy 2000, the national waste strategy. England recycles or composts just 12 percent of its household waste - one of the lowest rates in Europe - and our target is to increase this to 25% by 2005/2006. We are also committed to reducing the amount of biodegradable municipal waste land filled, in accordance with European Directives.

The EC Directive on Packaging and Packaging Waste 94/62/EC seeks to reduce the impact of packaging and packaging waste on the environment, by introducing recovery and recycling targets for packaging waste. For further information on the Directive and how it is being implemented in the UK, see: 

INTERNATIONAL PHYTOSANITARY STANDARD FOR WOOD PACKAGING (ISPM15)

There has been increasing concern in recent years about the spread of pests, such as the Asian long-horn beetle and the Pine Wood Nematode, since wood packaging material made of unprocessed raw wood provides a pathway for the introduction and spread of such pests. A few years ago there was a major incident, when the Asian long-horn beetle was discovered in the U.S. Having made its way there in the wood packaging imported from China, with the result that avenues of trees in Chicago and New York had to be immediately felled so as to control the spread of this pest. However the pest has not yet been eradicated and felling continues.

In order to protect their trees and forests, a number of countries and trading blocs have taken regulatory action to control the import of wood packaging. At the present time, at least fourteen countries and the EU have taken such action, and the regulations differ in each case, with the results that exporters are finding it extremely difficult to understand the regulations that apply when exporting to such countries.

In an endeavour to bring some order to this situation and to control the spread of pests through wood packaging, the Secretariat of the IPPC (International Plant Protection Convention), appointed a panel of experts to identify approved measures that significantly reduce the risk of the spread of pests, and to prepare an appropriate standard. The International Standard for Phytosanitary Measure "Guidelines for regulating wood packaging material in the international trade" (ISPM15) was adopted by the commission in March 2002. It is now for each country and trading bloc to decide upon implementation of these measures, and the indications are that most major trading nations will have regulations based on ISPM15 in place within by 2004/2005.

For further information go to the following site:

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Interactive Packaging Solutions Ltd., Unit 3, Ash Road North, Wrexham Enterprise Park, Wrexham, LL13 9JT.
Company Registered in England No. 4310062    Telephone : 01978 661671,  Fax : 01978 661681
E-mail: sales@ips-uk.net

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