This plan has greatly improved on the basis of the goal of recycling packaging materials put forward in 1994, but it still disappointed experts who study environmental protection issues. Because they believe that the plan did not propose special measures to encourage the reuse of packaging materials and how to eliminate packaging waste, nor did it impose any legal liability on manufacturers of packaging materials to increase the catastrophes caused by the production of packaging materials. For consumers, the plan will make it possible for them to increase spending and time to categorize different packaging materials according to their waste. The Committee believes that in the long run, compared with other waste disposal management methods, this tough recovery target and method will be more effective and more economical.
In 2006, every EU member state must ensure that the recycling rate of packaging materials reaches 55%-70%. At the same time, these countries must also “invent†some of the packaging. Its inventions include new production processes, but mainly waste incineration and energy reuse. In addition, there are special recycling targets for glass, paper, metal and plastics.
Some countries in the current EU member states have reached the lower limit set by the plan. For example, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Portugal, Ireland, and Greece need three years to reach new goals. The United States and Italy are even longer.