The alliance of beverage carton producers start with ambitious aims |
04-11-2004 |
non-profit/Alliance of Beverage Carton Producers |
source: PeppeR |
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For the best utilization and to coordinate the selective collection the beverage carton producers of Hungarian market made a new alliance. The three biggest beverage carton producers (Tetra Pak Hungária, SIG Combibloc and Elopak) founded IKSZ (Beverage Carton Environmental Alliance). The aim of the organisation is to raise awareness of the low environment impact of the beverage cartons and to inspire selective collection. The founders endeavour that the total recycling and recovery rate of cartons reach 25% in Hungary by 2008.
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"Our aim is to raise awareness of the low environment impact of the beverage cartons, to promote an integrated and balanced approach to packaging-taking into account product performances, economic aspects, social benefits, environmental requirements, and benefits throughout the life cycle of the packaging system"-Éva Baka, managing director explained the aims of IKSZ. The decision to establish a non-profit organisation like this is not unique. There are similar organisations in Germany, England and Belgium, and a new one is being launched in the Netherlands. The national alliances in the EU are coordinated by ACE (The Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment, www.ace.be). According to a survey of ACE, 280,000 tonnes of collected post consumer packaging were recycled in 15 EU countries in 2003. The sector's total recycling and recovery has reached 58%, which means more than a half of post consumer packaging has been used in paper mills or by incineration. Significant examples are Germany and Belgium with 65% and 68% rate, respectively. Nowadays there are several collecting schemes, the most widespread is the selective collection beside the pavement (in colour indicated collectors), and the collection-isles at cross roads, shopping malls and special collection centres. In Hungary expectedly 13-15,000 tonnes of carton waste will be arisen in 2004, 3-5% of this will be collected and recycled. At this moment beverage cartons are collected selectively in Budapest, Veszprém, Győr, Tura, Pécs and Sátoraljaújhely. Considering collection, it is very important to deflate cartons. The popular slogan "Trample it!" on that paper wastage implies that the carton takes less room by this way. It depends on the local communities how the beverage cartons can be collected, with paper waste or other packaging materials, for example plastic. After collection, recycling of beverage cartons requires a post sorting system to separate cartons from paperboard or plastic packaging. After this the cartons are baled and then forwarded to the recycling plant, mostly to paper factories. Beverage cartons are 75% paperboard, therefore are highly suited for paper manufacturing process and provide an excellent raw material for paper manufacturing. The fibre-rich slurry is screened, leaving the residue of the polyethylene and aluminium shreds. The fibre slurry is then (in 98%) taken to the paper manufacturing process. Because liquid paperboard used for beverage cartons has a high proportion of long fibres, this recycled component is ideal for producing a whole range of other paper products such as carton packaging board, coreboard, gypsum liner board, office stationary, paper sacks, kraft paper, kitchen towels and industrial tissue paper. In Hungary Dunapack is recycling beverage cartons but there are negotiations with other Austrian and German paper manufacturers, interested about beverage cartons for their valuable paper-pulp. First public action of newly found IKSZ is to place stickers on selective containers to inform the public. With the association of ÖKO-Pannon there are on-going selective programmes for schools already in two Hungarian cities. The environmental programmes have already started in Pécs (and will last till the end of January) and shortly begin in Nyíregyháza (and last till Eastern). On behalf of the Alliance a new survey ("Attitudes and habits considering selective collection, regarding beverage cartons") was published in the beginning of November. The result of the survey suggests that there is willingness among people to collect beverage cartons selectively, if there is a selective collection-isle nearby their residence. People think beverage cartons, alike plastic bottles, are environmental contaminant. On the contrary of plastic bottles, less people collect these cartons selectively, mostly due to lack of exact information. People who collect these selectively do not know where to throw it. "Beverage cartons are put into plastic as well as and paper collectors and a quarter of the people asked handle these as a regular household wastage"-summarized the result of the survey Móni Lelovics, managing director of Free Association Research "We make strong efforts to promote selective collection, because this is a concern of all of us. To reach 25% of recycling and recovery rate we need the help of the full population"-said Éva Baka underlining the necessity of joining of civil forces. |
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