From 2025, many Danish producers and importers of products will become financially and practically responsible for collecting, treating, recycling and reusing the large volumes of packaging used for their products. This can easily put pressure on businesses that need to navigate legal texts as well as financial and administrative burdens. Fortunately, they can take it easy.
Although EPR for packaging will not take effect until 2025, a highly experienced operator is already ready to help businesses with the challenges that EPR brings. Emballageretur has been established by Elretur, Denmark’s largest Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) for the handling, reuse and recycling of end-of-life electrical products.
“The new packaging rules are similar to the rules that already apply to producers and importers of electrical products. Since 2005, we have collected, treated and prepared end-of-life electrical products and batteries for reuse, recycling or disposal on behalf of the more than 950 businesses that are members of our non-profit organisation. We have deep knowledge of the circular economy, and our goal is to make Denmark a frontrunner in recycling and reuse.
Another step in that direction is to handle and recycle the very large volumes of packaging used by packers (*) for their goods,” says Morten Harboe-Jepsen, CEO of Elretur.
At www.emballageretur.dk, Danish importers and producers can already find information on how to approach the future requirements, how to design environmentally responsible and reusable packaging, and sign up to stay fully updated on the rules and their consequences well before they take effect.
“We have established Emballageretur to ease the burden on businesses, help with the paperwork and, from 2025, take responsibility for ensuring that packaging is recirculated, reused and recycled, so that businesses, the environment and all of us benefit from the scheme. Elretur has the necessary insight and experience from the waste process – from waste to recycling and reuse. This means the circulation of used packaging will be highly efficient and achieved at the lowest possible cost.
For businesses, and to a very large extent also for our shared environment,” says Morten Harboe-Jepsen.
The Danish Environmental Protection Agency estimates that businesses under the EPR scheme for packaging will face annual costs of DKK 2.3 billion.
* Packers are businesses that bottle, fill or pack goods on or in packaging for the purpose of sale. The Danish Ministry of the Environment estimates that around 41,000 businesses across 736 industry codes will be covered by EPR for packaging in Denmark.
For further information, please contact
CEO Morten Harboe-Jepsen, mobile +45 4031 8187 or email mhj@elretur.dk
Communications Manager Camilla Falkenberg, mobile +45 4314 0894 or email cf@elretur.dk
Emballageretur was established by Denmark’s largest Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) for e-waste and end-of-life batteries, Elretur.
Emballageretur is a non-profit Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) that takes responsibility for packaging waste from the point it is delivered to recycling centres until it is either reused, recycled into new products or disposed of in an environmentally sound way. Emballageretur offers to handle businesses’ EPR obligations for packaging when the EPR rules in this area take effect in 2025.
In the period leading up to 2025, Emballageretur will inform businesses about the future EPR rules, the consequences of the new requirements and how businesses can lower their costs by focusing on packaging with high reuse and recycling potential.
Elretur is Denmark’s largest Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO), representing many different industries and types of businesses. We handle Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) and batteries on behalf of more than 950 members.
Elretur is a non-profit organisation that ensures responsible and cost-effective collection and treatment of the electronic and battery waste delivered to Denmark’s recycling centres. Elretur recycles 84% of the products collected, which is above the EU average of 80%. The goal is now to take the next step and increase product reuse.