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Austria to introduce modulated fees for packaging

The Austrian Ministry for Climate Protection, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology is preparing the introduction of modulated fees for packaging. Eco-modulation incentivises producers to design their packaging in a way that it can be easily recycled.

The foundation of eco-modulation shall be the assessment of the packaging’s recyclability. For the design of the corresponding criteria, the Austrian government wants to consider experience from Germany, where the eco-modulation of packaging fees is mandatory since 1 January 2019.

Landbell Group company, ERP Austria was also asked by the ministry for their opinion on the design of the assessment system. ERP pointed out that eco-modulation based on a minimum standard, as in Germany, is not practical because it leaves too much room for interpretation. Instead, modulation should be based on a catalogue of fixed design aspects that is also easier to implement for small and medium-sized enterprises.

No date is currently set for the introduction of eco-modulation in Austria.

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