EU packaging regulation threatens Belgian business innovation
Frédérique Ries, MEP for Belgium’s French-speaking community and leading lawmaker on the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste (PPWR) proposals, visited Saverglass’ container glass factory in Ghlin, Wallonia to discover the latest innovations in glassmaking, and the contribution glass producers bring to customers in Belgium and beyond. This comes as EU policymakers get set to debate revisions that limit creative design possibilities and force standardisation on the market.
As rapporteur of the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) the visit offered Mr Ries a first-hand view of the container glass industry’s role in driving a circular local economy. Saverglass’s Ghlin specialises in premium bottles and precision decoration designed for high-end wine and spirits products. The plant exports to other European countries, and employs 342 people in the Hainaut province.
Commenting on the impact the proposed regulation risks having on Saverglass’ operations, Saverglass President Jean Marc Arrambourg adds: “The focus on weight reduction rather than waste reduction is problematic. As a company, we deliver value for both our customers and local communities by producing creative, high-precision glass containers that are fully recyclable. Packaging does more than just contain and protect products; it also helps shape a brand’s identity and often evokes cultural heritage and identity. By threatening a wave of packaging design standardisation, the proposed Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation puts our current business model and, by extension, places the value we deliver to the real economy at risk.”
Adeline Farrelly, Secretary General of FEVE, commented: “Some of the proposed measures in the revised Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation would have strong negative repercussions by limiting the availability of packaging and by extension the consumer goods they are packed in. This risks damaging the reputation, competitiveness and profitability of European industry and would significantly harm the glass industry.”
