Recycling keeps materials like paper & board alive for a long time. The circular economy needs recycling to keep the value of the materials in the loop and to minimise the use of resources.

The vote today recognises the need to raise public awareness and encourages Member States to improve the market conditions for bio-based recyclable packaging. Corrugated is such a packaging and a perfect example of a real circular economy. `We use recycled paper as a raw material, optimising the use of resources and reducing the environmental impact – on average corrugated packaging has 88% recycled content.` says Angelika Christ, FEFCO Secretary General.

Europe can achieve a fair and reliable circular economy that reduces waste, avoids emissions and other environmental impacts in which recycling targets are realistic. Requiring 90% recycling of paper & board by 2025 would be a big challenge, when the other necessary conditions are not fully in place and there are significant differences among countries.

The vote today strengthens the need for separate collection, providing an opportunity for high quality of materials for recycling, which is beneficial for the European economy, the society and the environment.