Packaging management

Why it is subject to specific legislation

Directive 94/62/EC, published in 1994, was the first document on the management of used packaging. The European Union has taken a closer look at this waste because it is linked to three very important factors from an environmental point of view:

Quantity

Packaging, much of it disposable, is the most common type of waste generated worldwide because it is so widely used in everyday life.

Pollution

Packaging, especially plastic packaging, has an enormous impact on ecosystems if it is not disposed of properly. It takes several years to decompose and never disappears completely, as it turns into microplastics. In the process, it harms the environment and human health due to its characteristics and the chemicals in its composition.

Conservation of resources

Some packaging materials are 100% recyclable, such as glass or aluminium. Packaging recycling ensures that these materials are reused and returned to the production cycle, avoiding the extraction of new raw materials from nature and reducing the energy used to produce new packaging.

It was necessary to establish specific legislation and a separate waste management system for used packaging. This legislation requires packagers to implement measures that promote waste prevention, reuse and recycling of the packaging they place on the market and, thus, a more sustainable management of the life cycle and afterlife of these products.

In 2017, Electrão took over the management of used packaging in the scope of Extended Producer Responsibility.

How the used packaging management system works

Learn about each step

Transfer of Responsibility

For the end-of-life management of packaging placed on the market

By paying an EPR fee packagers can transfer their responsibility for the end-of-life management of the products they place on the market to Electrão.

Communication and Awareness-raising

On the correct disposal of waste

Recycling and proper waste management are only possible if consumers place used packaging in the correct recycling bins so that it enters the recycling cycle. To this end, Electrão runs various communication and awareness-raising campaigns to publicise the rules of recycling and its importance for the future of the planet.

Collection and treatment network

National network

The collection sites for used packaging are organised in a national urban network consisting of recycling bins, eco-centres and door-to-door collection. The Urban Waste Management Systems (SGRU) and the municipalities are responsible for managing these sites. Once collected, the packaging is separated by material category and sent to reclaimers and/or recyclers. Packaging recycling processes allow the recovery of materials that can be used as raw materials.

Liaising with Operational Partners

To ensure the correct treatment of waste

Electrão is responsible for the correct handling of the packaging by its operational partners.

The importance of treatment and recycling

Nowadays, packaging is practical and makes everyday life easier. It wraps products, protects foodstuffs and transports goods, but it is also a problem for the Planet. Packaging waste is everywhere; the use of packaging increases as the consumption of other goods rises, and so does the pollution it causes.

When packaging reaches the end of its useful life, recycling is the only solution.

Used packaging is delivered to an SGRU and a management entity, starting a cycle that will ensure that it is diverted from the environment, correctly sorted by material, and treated.

Its components are safely managed in specialised units using specific equipment to produce raw materials for new products.

The negative effects it could have on the environment and human health are mitigated.

The raw materials in its composition, such as lithium or titanium, are reused in the manufacture of new products, contributing to the ecological transition and a more circular economy.