All together against litter

What do we remember from the past summer? The heat and drought. The debate about FC De Kampioenen on Flemish tv. But also, unfortunately, the problem of litter. In recent weeks, newspaper and television reports have regularly focused on the struggle of cities and (coastal) towns against rubbish left lying around, including many cans, bottles and other forms of packaging. Images of parks and fields full of rubbish went viral and caused much indignation. And rightly so. For in spite of the fact that Belgium has for years been among the best in Europe when it comes to recycling, and therefore also of recycling packaging, we have to admit that litter remains a challenge that our current approaches are not able to control sufficiently.

The keyword in the previous sentence is ‘we’. It is na?ve to think that only one organisation can solve this problem on its own. It is just as na?ve to leave it up to the industry alone. After all, packaging doesn’t just fly onto the side of the road by itself. Solutions will only come if we act ‘all together’. A social problem can be resolved only by involving all of society.

Then how? The solution is in digitalisation, in rewards as well as punishment, both the carrot and the stick - and in collaboration among governments, industry and citizens. It was with this vision that the packaging industry - represented by Fevia, Comeos and Fost Plus - have developed a future-oriented action plan, based on five pillars.

1.?????Keep what works. The blue PMD bag remains the cornerstone of the system, since it is an easily accessible solution for consumption at home that already works well.

2.?????Prevention. Packaging that is not necessary should not exist. Industry continues to research options that do not require packaging or options with reusable packaging for consumption outside the home, among other things. In this way, we give the unwilling consumer fewer opportunities to leave litter behind.

3.?????Responsibility. As is the case today with collecting, sorting and recycling packaging, Fost Plus is prepared to play a coordinating role. In this way, there is a single point of contact for the government, businesses and local institutions to create economies of scale and to share knowledge and best practices across the three regions of Belgium.

4.?????Innovation. We are investigating how we could collect even more drinks packaging for recycling via a smart digital deposit return system.

5.?????Reward. Don't punish everyone for the behaviour of a few, but create incentives that will make even the disrespectful minority recognize that waste has value, via recycling. This way, you contribute to a sustainable behaviour change.

For it is certainly the case that litter is first and foremost the result of an attitude problem. For the few tough holdouts, an efficient enforcement policy is needed. We call on the governments to continue to invest in this area.

That this ‘all together’ approach works, is clearly evident in Wallonia, where industry, the government and citizens have addressed the problem of litter with clear (and measurable) success. Between 2016 and 2021, the amount of litter fell in identified test areas by at least 37%. The result of a joint effort in which everyone wins: residents and tourists enjoy a cleaner environment, the cost for local authorities is reduced and industry sees its packaging being collected more efficiently for recycling.

We are convinced that we can all benefit from such a future-oriented policy. Fevia, Comeos and Fost Plus are lending a hand on behalf of the packaging industry. All together against litter. So that in a few years’ time summer news seasons will continue to be all about heat, drought and FC De Kampioenen, and no longer about litter.