The Netherlands, Belgium, France, and Luxembourg join forces for more sustainable packaging in Europe

Like Verpact, Fost Plus (household packaging), Valipac (commercial packaging), Citeo (household packaging), Citeo PRO (commercial packaging), and Valorlux are responsible for fulfilling the legal obligations under Extended Producer Responsibility (EPV) for companies in Belgium, France, and Luxembourg, respectively. The organizations are responsible for the take-back and reporting obligations for their members' packaging. As government-recognized organizations, they organize selective collection, calculate recycling rates, and guide the transition to reusable packaging.

Many companies market their products with associated packaging in each of the four countries. This means that their packaging must comply with specific regulations and reporting requirements in each of these countries. By working more closely together, the six producer organizations aim to reduce complexity for companies through a more straightforward declaration procedure, greater consistency, and more efficient packaging management across national borders.

The collaboration is being established within the framework of the new European Packaging & Waste Regulation (PPWR). By joining forces, the six producer organizations aim to actively support companies in this new reality – not only to comply with regulations but also to achieve their sustainability ambitions.

Hester Klein Lankhorst, CEO of Verpact: “The obligations that affect everyone in the packaging chain are significant. That's why we're collaborating with like-minded EPR organizations for packaging in EXPRA to ensure that packaging policy in the EU is ambitious, but also fair, clear, and feasible. Precisely to increase feasibility and elevate our service provision to an even higher level, we're collaborating in a cluster of Dutch- and French-speaking EPR organizations. By better coordinating our services, we want to ensure that our producers, many of whom also operate in Belgium, France, and Luxembourg, can more easily meet their obligations.”

Three focus areas

The first pillar of the collaboration is the standardization of packaging declarations. The goal is to create a common data source, using the standardized product information behind the barcode.

The benefits extend beyond administrative simplification for companies. A uniform system will provide greater transparency for consumers: it will make recycling and packaging data more comparable between countries and provide insight into how sustainable packaging truly is. This strengthens confidence in the circular performance of packaging and contributes to a fairer and more sustainable packaging policy in Europe.

A second pillar is the pursuit of circular packaging solutions. The six organizations will now systematically combine their expertise in:

• Design for Recycling: how to design packaging for optimal recyclability;
• The use of recycled materials and reporting on this;
• The transition to reusable packaging;
• Reducing the amount of packaging material without sacrificing functionality or safety.

This collaboration helps companies comply with European regulations and play a leading role in the circular economy of tomorrow. For consumers, this means more sustainable packaging in stores, which has a lower environmental impact. In this way, the collaboration contributes to a tangible improvement in the packaging chain – visible in everyday life.

A third pillar is the further development of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPSR) for commercial packaging. Traceability is crucial in this segment: where does this packaging end up? How is it recycled? And how can companies demonstrate this? With the clear reporting requirements imposed by the PPWR, transparency in the recycling chain is becoming an absolute priority more than ever. This collaboration should allow for the creation of an efficient framework for this.