The Roundtable for Reusable Containers, Trays and Pallets (RCTP) is calling on policymakers to centre reuse and recognize reusable transport packaging (RTP) as a ‘strategic pillar of resilient supply chains’ in the European Commission’s Circular Economy Act proposal.
RCTP has published a position paper focusing on reusable transport packaging, launching its ‘Europe Deserves Less’ campaign and arguing that RTP can help reduce cost, waste and supply chain disruption. The Roundtable states that the Circular Economy Act is expected to play a central role in strengthening Europe’s competitiveness, industrial resilience and strategic autonomy – but while current policy debate mainly focuses on recycling, secondary raw materials and waste management, proven reuse systems supporting industries from automotive and manufacturing to food, retail and healthcare ‘already deliver tangible economic, environmental and strategic value’ across European supply chains.
In its position paper, RCTP calls on policymakers to place reuse at the heart of the Circular Economy Act, in line with the EU waste hierarchy, harmonize EPR schemes across the EU and reward waste prevention through appropriate eco-modulation and by exempting reusable products from EPR fees.
It also urges the Commission to use public procurement rules to favour circular solutions based on reuse; help scale up these business models in cases where the reusable option is also available; and introduce robust certification requirements for RTP products imported from non-EFTA countries to ensure fair competition and maintain the integrity of the EU circular economy.
The Roundtable has also cited a report from the Fraunhofer Institute which states that wider use of RTP in the fruit and vegetables sector could reduce product losses worth almost €100 million annually due to its robustness. It highlights another Fraunhofer report which indicates that RTP can last for up to 15 years and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90%, requiring significantly less energy and freshwater use during its lifecycle than single-use alternatives.
In related news, the European Commission has officially exempted businesses that use pallet wrappings and straps from the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation’s 100% reuse requirements, citing ‘disproportionate’ costs and supply chain impacts. Economic operators transporting products within the same company, between partner companies, or within the same Member State are held to a 100% reuse target - but the quotas do not apply to packaging used to transport dangerous goods, large-scale machinery, flexible packaging in direct contact with food or feed, or cardboard boxes.
Tosca and Cabka have developed a new circular pallet made from 100% recycled plastic, designed to be safe to use, easy to clean, and compatible with automated pallet handling equipment across Europe. The Tosca CP 1208 is made from a ‘unique blend’ of recycled plastic, said to feature integrated drainage holes to prevent water build-up and avoid moisture retention.
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