General Binding Declaration granted for packaging

The new AVV has a duration from 2023 to 2027. This provides the legal basis for the packaging waste management structure for five years. This enables Het Afvalfonds to continue to carry out its legal tasks on a solid basis and to efficiently implement the new regulations collectively on behalf of the packaging industry. Het Afvalfonds is therefore pleased with the trust of producers and importers, who have agreed to the extension of the AVV.

From the extended producer responsibility (UPV), Het Afvalfonds has been responsible for the separate collection of packaging waste or sorting residual waste for reuse or recycling for 10 years. Our ambition does not stop there. Every day, together with all parties in the chain, we look for ways to improve. Together, we want to close the packaging chain as much as possible. This is not only good for the environment, but also minimizes costs in the chain and preserves resources.

Extended producer responsibility (UPV) packaging
Companies that market packaged products are legally obligated to ensure the collection and recycling of the packaging, including the deposit system, through extended producer responsibility (UPV). The Stichting Afvalfonds Verpakkingen has taken on this responsibility so that each company does not have to set up its own system for the collection and recycling of its own packaging and achieve the legal recycling rates.

With its collection and recycling system, the Netherlands, behind Belgium, is a leader in European recycling results: in 2021, 80% of all packaging was recycled. The new AVV ensures continuity, and we look beyond achieving legal recycling and reuse targets. By further closing the packaging chain, we make a positive contribution to our climate and become less dependent on fossil fuels. We are not doing this alone, but working with all parties in the chain to achieve this.

Het Afvalfonds is legally responsible for achieving the recycling targets imposed by the Dutch government, and we do this at the lowest possible social cost. We report on this annually as part of the statutory reporting obligation arising from the Packaging Management Decree 2014 (the Decree), through which the Netherlands implemented the EU Directive on Packaging and Packaging Waste (94/62/EC).

Het Afvalfonds is the joint implementation organization referred to in Article 9 of the Decree and reports to the Dutch government on:

1. The recycling or reuse of packaged products on the market, where legal targets must be met per material and in total (Art. 5a), being circular targets.
2. The recycling of packaged products on the market, where legal targets must be met per material type and in total (Art. 6), being recycling targets..

Het Afvalfonds is responsible for achieving the targets (the addressee of the norm). The report is audited by an external accounting firm and the Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT). By taking a collective approach, it is prevented that there is a random variety of systems.

On behalf of the packaging industry, het Afvalfonds is responsible for:

• The separate collection of packaging waste or sorting of residual waste to enable the reuse or recycling of packaging waste, including funding the necessary activities of municipalities and/or waste companies (Art. 5).
• Organizing and funding a deposit system for plastic beverage bottles smaller than 3 liters as of July 1, 2021 (Art. 7).

Het Afvalfonds has a monitoring system to collect the necessary data on:

• Packaged products on the market (quantity of packaging used).
• Reused packaging (quantity of reused packaging).
• Recycled packaging waste, divided by the location of recycling, namely:
  - Netherlands
  - Other EU countries
  - Outside the EU

Het Afvalfonds does not carry out all the tasks of UPV itself, but has delegated some of these tasks to its implementation organizations within the Waste Management Structure. Part of the activities concerns legal obligations, the remaining part is additional to support the producers and importers of packaged products.

Het Afvalfonds is the addressee of the norm, carries out chain management, is the point of contact and registers the weight of packaged products on the market. Within the Waste Management Structure, Het Afvalfonds collaborates with:

• Nedvang B.V. (collection up to recycling)
• Statiegeld Nederland (organization of the deposit system)
• Nederland Schoon (prevention of litter)
• Kennisinstituut Duurzaam Verpakken (KIDV) (Knowledge development and sharing regarding the sustainability of packaging.).

Cost-covering rates

To finance the collection and recycling of packaging waste, het Afvalfonds sets rates per material type and charges producers and importers of packaged products for the packaging they bring to market. The rates are cost-covering and not intended to build up reserves. Het Afvalfonds is a non-profit foundation.

To control costs, het Afvalfonds works hard with all parties in the recycling chain to close the waste chain for packaging waste. This ensures that not only valuable raw materials are preserved, but also that their quality increases so that the packaging industry can use the raw material for new packaging. This adds value to the chain and reduces costs.

Ook nieuwe wetgeving opgenomen in AVV

De UPV is aanzienlijk uitgebreid met:

• de wettelijke verantwoordelijkheid voor de inzameling en recycling van bedrijfsafval (verpakkingen):
  • Het Afvalfonds heeft een inzamelsysteem georganiseerd voor brongescheiden, op huishoudelijke gelijkende verpakkingen van plastic, glas en drankenkartons van kantoren, scholen, horeca etc. vanaf 1 januari 2023. Daarnaast werken we ook aan een systeem voor na te scheiden materiaal uit bedrijfsmatig restafval.
• de Single Use Plastics-richtlijn:

1. een financiële bijdrage aan publieke gebiedsbeheerders voor het opruimen van zwerfafval veroorzaakt door SUP-producten/verpakkingen
2. reductiemaatregelen voor drinkbekers en vormvaste voedselverpakkingen
3. bewustwordingsmaatregelen
4. markeringsvoorschriften op verpakkingen
5. in een beperkt aantal gevallen een handelsverbod
6. monitorings- en rapportageverplichtingen.

Also new legislation included in AVV

The UPV has been significantly expanded to include:

• The legal responsibility for the collection and recycling of commercial waste (packaging): Het Afvalfonds has organized a collection system for source-separated, household-like packaging materials such as plastic, glass, and beverage cartons from offices, schools, restaurants, etc. starting from January 1, 2023. In addition, we are also working on a system for materials separated from commercial residual waste.
• The Single Use Plastics directive:

1. a financial contribution to public area managers for cleaning up litter caused by SUP products/packaging
2. reduction measures for drinking cups and rigid food packaging
3. awareness-raising measures
4. marking requirements on packaging
5. in a limited number of cases, a trade ban
6. monitoring and reporting obligations.

Deposit on cans:

• The establishment of a nationwide, consumer-friendly deposit system for beverage cans
• The registration and reporting of collection results to the government.

Level playing field
The AVV is the formal basis for the implementation of extended producer responsibility for packaging by Het Afvalfonds. The AVV ensures that all companies that place more than 50,000 kilograms of packaging on the market per year are connected to Het Afvalfonds and contribute to the financing of the collection, sorting, and recycling of packaging that comes onto the market. The AVV thereby guarantees a level playing field, where costs are distributed fairly. With the AVV, the packaging industry has joined forces, creating significant societal and economic added value. It has proven to be the basis for fruitful and effective chain cooperation, which effectively and efficiently meets legal obligations (see recycling results 2021). The packaging industry forms the board of Het Afvalfonds, which is a non-profit organization with no profit motive.