On Monday 2nd March the Circular Economy Task Force co-hosted a conference with the Dutch Embassy in London on how to promote the trade in circular economy goods and services between the UK and the Netherlands. The Dutch ambassador Laetitia van den Assum welcomed an expert group of business, policy and academia representatives to a discussion organised around three issues: how policy can support a circular economy, how to deliver a ‘North Sea Resource Roundabout’, and what are the circular economy opportunities for plastics?

1. Producer responsibility for a circular
economy – the experience of plastic
packaging in the Netherlands
Packaging Waste Fund
Joris van der Meulen

2. 2
WHO ARE WE?
PRODUCERS & IMPORTERS OF OBLIGED INDUSTRY
 Collecting the fees of the obliged companies (budget € 160 mio)
 Execute producer responsibility based on commitment of packaging agreement 2013
– 2022
€ €
€ €SLA SLA
• Daily contact with municipalities
• Daily contact with waste management
companies
• Collecting data for ‘off the market’
monitoring
Foundation ‘keep the
Netherlands clean of litter’

3. 3
PACKAGING WASTE MANAGEMENT HOUSEHOLDS
A PUBLIC SYSTEM
Producers/
Importers
Recycling
targets
2500 P/I’s (>50.000 kg)
Producers/
Importers
Recycling
targets
393 municipalities
Municipalities
Collection and sorting
(for plastic)
Financing Remuneration

4. 4
DUTCH PACKAGING AGREEMENT 2013 - 2022
Partners
P/I’s
Obliged
Industry
Association
of
municipalities
National
Government+ +
Packaging agreement 2013 - 2022: Ambition
 Packaging Optimisation: by setting up sector plans (reduce, reuse, recycle, renew)
 Littering: social responsibility
 Monitoring: of the Agreement
 Circular Economy: Closing the loop of the material chains
 Recycling targets:
 Glass, metal, paper > 80%
 Plastics 2013 44%
2022 52% (our ambition: to be achieved in 2017)

5. 5
RECYCLING TARGET FOR PLASTICS
• Goal: to achieve a target of 52% or more by 2017
• 2009: Introduction of Plastic Heroes Collection System
 ‘kerbside collection’
• High quality sorting & recycling infrastructure
 Est. 40 transfer stations
 5 Sorting plants (Netherlands 1, Germany 4)
• Mechanical and optical sorting in 5 different plastic material flows
 PET
 PP
 PE delivered to est. 70 certified recyclers in EU
 PE- Foils
 Mix plastics

6. PLASTIC HEROES COLLECTION & RECYCLING SYSTEM
0 0
2
4
8 18
28
3
16
59
79
82
105
130
3
16
57
75
74
87
102
27 27 26 24 23 22 21
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Total
Kerbside
Deposit
Separa on
MSW
Kton of
Plas c
Packaging
recycled
A huge success!

7. Total cost in € MIO
In 7 years:
from € 60 mio
to € 136 mio
PLASTIC HEROES A SUCCESS…. BUT AT A COST
60
79
82
105
130
147
167
180
60
70
80
90
100
110
120
130
140
150
160
170
180
190
995
980
975
901
881
817
788
756
600
700
800
900
1000
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
60
1000
€ 77€ 60 € 80 € 95 € 115 € 120 € 131 € 136
Cost in
€/per tonne
Kton of
Plas c
Packaging
recycled

8. This progress shows that …………….
• All partners involved should maximise there effort to optimise the plastic recycling scheme to an
efficient and effective system in order to lower cost;
• The integration of the deposit system for large PET bottles into the Plastic Heroes recycling
scheme is the next important step towards an efficient and effective system;
• To have one overall system is more consumer friendly, so that the recycling of more plastic
packaging waste will be stimulated;
• Today a lot of recycled material is are already used into new products, however the usage of
recycled material should be increased;
• Therefore we need to stimulate innovation.

9. This progress shows that …………….
We are on our way of achieving a circular economy for plastic
packaging!

10. 10
Thank you for your attention
For more information:
Stichting Afvalfonds Verpakkingen
Postbus 1266
2260 BG Leidschendam
+31 85 401 26 60
jorisvandermeulen@afvalfondsverpakkingen.nl
+31 6 222 401 64