Circular economy: Flanders wants to dispose of disposables

In the past decade the use of single-use packaging has increased by 10%. With their new initiative Green Deal Anders Verpakt Flemish ministers Crevits and Demir want to tackle this problem. The project aims to reduce the amount of disposable packaging in the distribution sector by 15,000 tons. More than 80 leading companies and organisations have signed to search for solutions to stimulate the reuse of packaging over the next 3 years.

The project wants to give consumers more choice to avoid buying single-use packaging and to choose products that are packaged 'differently'. This involves, for example, alternatives to bottles of personal care products or plastic and cardboard boxes in which food or furniture is packed that are only used once and then end up in the garbage.

"Today we are joining forces to reduce the mountain of waste. The transition to a circular economy is one of the top priorities within Flemish policy”, says Flemish Minister of Economy and Innovation Hilde Crevits.

This Green Deal is an initiative of OVAM, the VIL spearhead cluster, COMEOS, Detic and Fevia Vlaanderen. OVAM says that although major progress has already been made in the selective collection and recycling of packaging, too much single-use packaging ends up in litter or in residual waste, destined for incineration.

“If we want to achieve a circular economy, we must start using our raw materials more sustainably,” the waste management company said. “Prevention, and more specifically the elimination of packaging, and the reuse of packaging are part of the solution.”