Council of State: Government must take tougher action against insufficient glass recycling
That is what the Council of State ruled on Wednesday in a lawsuit brought by environmental organisation Recycling Network. Glass recycling falls short year after year in the Netherlands. The Packaging Management Decree stipulates that 90 per cent of glass packaging sold must be recycled each year (in Article 6, paragraph 2). But the Waste Fund (Afvalfonds), together with […]
That is what the Council of State ruled on Wednesday in a lawsuit brought by environmental organisation Recycling Netwerk.
Glass recycling falls short year after year in the Netherlands. The Packaging Management Decree stipulates that 90 per cent of glass packaging sold must be recycled every year (in Article 6, paragraph 2). But the Waste Fund (Afvalfonds), together with its affiliated companies, is not making sufficient efforts, and that percentage has not been achieved since 2010.
The Council of State is now giving the State Secretary for Infrastructure and Water Management, Stientje van Veldhoven, 8 weeks to take action against the Waste Fund. The Council of State states that it is clear that the Waste Fund is not reaching the 90 per cent target and that the State Secretary must put more pressure on the fund to respect the legal standard.
State Secretary Van Veldhoven previously argued that she cannot impose a penalty payment, but the Council of State says that she can indeed do so. The Council of State therefore concludes that the appeal by Recycling Netwerk is justified, and that the State Secretary will have to make a new decision on the enforcement request.
“We are very pleased with this ruling by the Council of State. We hope that the State Secretary feels strengthened in her mandate to now truly start enforcing. And we will continue to remind The Hague of their motto: “Je maintiendrai” (I will maintain),” responds Recycling Netwerk chairman Robbert van Duin: “In this way, with the help of the government, we are trying to force the Waste Fund to take those measures that benefit the environment”.
History of the lawsuit
From 2013 to 2015 inclusive, the recycling standard was already not met. In 2016, the Waste Fund expected a recycling rate of 84 per cent. For 2017, the Waste Fund expected 86 per cent recycling. Year after year, glass recycling thus remains below the standard.
Recycling Netwerk notes that the large amount of glass packaging in household residual waste shows that these figures still paint far too rosy a picture; in fact, the step to 90% is therefore much larger. Achieving 90 per cent glass collection and recycling is nevertheless easy to achieve, for example by stopping the increasing supply of beer bottles without a deposit and reintroducing deposits on glass jars for preserves and sandwich spreads, says Recycling Netwerk.
More info
Read the full ruling of the Council of State of Wednesday 23 January 2019 here: https://uitspraken.rechtspraak.nl/inziendocument?id=ECLI:NL:RVS:2019:150&showbutton=true&keyword=glazen+verpakkingen
Related media
Trouw, Council of State: government must force business community to reuse glass
AfvalOnline, Enforcement of Waste Fund regarding glass recycling comes closer
RTL Nieuws
That is what the Council of State ruled on Wednesday in a lawsuit brought by environmental organisation Recycling Netwerk.
Glass recycling falls short year after year in the Netherlands. The Packaging Management Decree stipulates that 90 per cent of glass packaging sold must be recycled every year (in Article 6, paragraph 2). But the Waste Fund (Afvalfonds), together with its affiliated companies, is not making sufficient efforts, and that percentage has not been achieved since 2010.
The Council of State is now giving the State Secretary for Infrastructure and Water Management, Stientje van Veldhoven, 8 weeks to take action against the Waste Fund. The Council of State states that it is clear that the Waste Fund is not reaching the 90 per cent target and that the State Secretary must put more pressure on the fund to respect the legal standard.
State Secretary Van Veldhoven previously argued that she cannot impose a penalty payment, but the Council of State says that she can indeed do so. The Council of State therefore concludes that the appeal by Recycling Netwerk is justified, and that the State Secretary will have to make a new decision on the enforcement request.
“We are very pleased with this ruling by the Council of State. We hope that the State Secretary feels strengthened in her mandate to now truly start enforcing. And we will continue to remind The Hague of their motto: “Je maintiendrai” (I will maintain),” responds Recycling Netwerk chairman Robbert van Duin: “In this way, with the help of the government, we are trying to force the Waste Fund to take those measures that benefit the environment”.
History of the lawsuit
From 2013 to 2015 inclusive, the recycling standard was already not met. In 2016, the Waste Fund expected a recycling rate of 84 per cent. For 2017, the Waste Fund expected 86 per cent recycling. Year after year, glass recycling thus remains below the standard.
Recycling Netwerk notes that the large amount of glass packaging in household residual waste shows that these figures still paint far too rosy a picture; in fact, the step to 90% is therefore much larger. Achieving 90 per cent glass collection and recycling is nevertheless easy to achieve, for example by stopping the increasing supply of beer bottles without a deposit and reintroducing deposits on glass jars for preserves and sandwich spreads, says Recycling Netwerk.
More info
Read the full ruling of the Council of State of Wednesday 23 January 2019 here: https://uitspraken.rechtspraak.nl/inziendocument?id=ECLI:NL:RVS:2019:150&showbutton=true&keyword=glazen+verpakkingen
Related media
Trouw, Council of State: government must force business community to reuse glass
AfvalOnline, Enforcement of Waste Fund regarding glass recycling comes closer
RTL Nieuws
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