(*Honnertzwanzeg Sekonnen - 120 seconds – presents essential information concerning packaging and can be read in under 2 minutes. The content will be focusing on news concerning packaging that are relevant to you as a member of Valorlux.)

The improvement of the recyclability and the reuse of packaging will become increasingly important in the upcoming years, as highlighted again by the package of laws voted in April. In our last newsletter, we presented our pilot project for a reusable cup system.

Unfortunately, a lot of plastic packaging can still not be adequately recycled. Why are these materials not recyclable and what is the impact on your “green dot” contributions? Find some explanations below.

Which conditions have to be met for packaging to be considered as recyclable by Valorlux?

1. The packaging waste can be collected by the existing collection systems within the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. 

2. The packaging waste can be sorted in the sorting centres and sorting has been (or can be) proven on a large scale.

3. The packaging waste can be recycled in an economically efficient and ecologically sound manner. Recycling has been (or can be) proven on a large scale. 

Trays, pots and cups made from PET are not recyclable. Why?

There is currently no recycling chain available on an industrial scale to recycle trays, pots and cups made from PET. Unlike bottles made from PET, which are completely recyclable, this packaging is often:

• made of layers of different materials (main part in PET, film in PE); and/or
• heavily printed on.

Pilot projects to develop this chain have been initiated, but it is difficult to predict the time to market and the processing capacity of these installations.

Options to improve the recycling of your packaging:

• favour another type of plastic for trays, pots and cups
• if PET is the best solution to protect your product, keep it transparent and mono-material in order to get the best recycling outcome

Impact on your “green dot” contributions:

The “green dot” tariff for recovered, but non-recyclable, packaging has increased by almost 50 % since 2021, going from 0,6285 €/kg to 0,9406 €/kg

In order to keep your contributions from increasing in 2022, you can choose a different type of plastic for some of your packaging, the tariffs for which have decreased since 2021. The tariff for PP (PV12) is set to 0,3441 €/kg (-45,3 %) and PS (PV13) to 0,4469 €/kg (-28,9 %) compared to 0,6285 €/kg for both in 2021.

Your Valorlux team

Useful links: 

• "Green dot" tariffs 2022 for detailed reporting (PDF)

• Article on recyclable packaging