News and Statements
As an official partner, UKRPEС took part in the XVII “Packaging Industry” Conference
The seventeenth «Packaging Industry» Conference, held this year in Bucha, brought together leading manufacturers of packaging, packaging equipment, suppliers of packaging materials and experts from related industries such as packaging design, recycling, etc. Organized by the Information and Analytical Center «Packaging» and the «Packagers Club», this event, which is undoubtedly the main event of the year for packagers, is the main forum for discussing topical issues of production technologies and innovations, government regulation, and trends in packaging circulation and recycling.
The theme of the conference – “SUSTAINABILITY: from packaging design to recycling” – reflected the challenges facing the industry in the context of changes in domestic and European legislation. Participants discussed how Ukrainian companies can adapt to the new EU requirements, including, in particular:
- limitation of usage of harmful substances and substances that prevent reuse or recycling in packaging materials;
- mandatory transition to production after 2030 of all packaging that is subject to recycling (involves appropriate changes in product design and production);
- increase the volume of packaging reuse, including industrial packaging, by 2030;
- increasing the share of recycled materials in packaging;
- reducing the total volume and weight of packaging;
- eliminating non-functional types of group packaging that have only a marketing purpose.
Speech by UKRPEС
Volodymyr Slabyi, Head of the Executive Committee of UKRPEС, made a presentation at the event. Volodymyr Slabyi told in detail about:
- the essence and principles of the extended producer responsibility (EPR) model;
- the norms of EU sectoral legislation and the challenges faced by member states on the way to implementing EPR;
- the state of domestic legislation and the necessary steps to adapt it to European approaches;
- experience gained within the framework of the UKRPEС pilot project on separate collection and recycling of packaging waste in communities of the Kyiv region.
It was no coincidence that the conference was held at the production complex «Rada». This enterprise is a key partner of UKRPEC in the pilot project on separate collection of packaging waste on the basis of extended producer responsibility in several communities of Kyiv region.
Practical experience
The new role of the recycling sorting and recycling industry in the context of the upcoming industry reform was one of the key topics of discussion. The example of «Rada» enterprise demonstrates how a waste management operator can successfully develop its own business in cooperation with a EPR organization and manufacturers.
The participants of the event were able to see this with their own eyes during a tour of the industrial sites of the «Rada» and familiarization with the process of sorting waste collected as part of the UKRPEС pilot project.
In his speech, Bucha Mayor Anatoliy Fedoruk emphasized the need for cooperation between communities and businesses to build a new waste management system. Such initiatives, in his opinion, contribute to the sustainable development of the region and meet European standards.
The importance of the conference
The event confirmed the strategic importance of the Ukrainian packaging industry, which not only meets domestic demand but also actively exports products; contributes to the country’s food security during the war, and plays an important role in supplying the Ukrainian defence forces. The conference became a platform for sharing experience, discussing new requirements for packaging design, innovative solutions and adaptation to European standards.
Traditionally, UKRPEC has become a partner of the conference, supporting it both organizationally and financially, and thus once again demonstrating its leading role in the implementation of sustainable waste management practices.
