1- Could you tell us about your position and the missions Elipso carries out?
Elipso is the professional association representing producers of solid and flexible plastic packaging. As the Executive Officer, I am in charge of leading the network of the association’s members, ensuring the quality of the service provided to members, as well as taking actions that could influence people’s behaviour.
2- After one year of holding this position, could you outline the actions Elipso carries out for the best of plastic packaging?
Taking up this position has been hectic. The period was marked by opaque PET, the election campaign (candidate Macron announced that 100% of plastics should be recycled), and the authorisation’s renewal for eco-organisations. Each week brings something new, and that is the most exciting!
3- In 2017, the French Ministry in charge of the ecology has launched the “Roadmap for circular economy: Join the movement!” and Europe is drafting the text on the European Circular Economy Package. Could you tell us what stakes and actions these texts bring about for plastic packaging?
Strong expectations do exist on plastic packaging recyclability and assimilation of recycled material in plastic packaging. The French government’s roadmap is in line with the European strategy regarding plastic packaging. They both have a strong ambition: 100% of plastic packaging should be recyclable or biodegradable by 2030, and recycled plastic should be massively used (4 times more often than today).
4- Elipso recently participated in the CNE working group: “Packaging’s contribution to food waste reduction in France”. The resulting document echoes back to the French Etats-Généraux for Food; could you tell us what lessons you draw from your participation as well as the deliverable?
This working group, which is open to the different stakeholders, underlines the CNE’s central role in terms of packaging promotion. Works carried out have fully responded to the Etats-Généraux’s appeal by showing both the professionals’ role in the choice of an adapted packaging and the necessity of involving consumers in the fight against food waste.
The report also highlights the necessity of taking into account the whole life cycle of the product and its packaging in order to make a guided choice: a bigger packaging can be justified if it enables to extend the product’s shelf life and contributes to reducing food waste.
5- From 2022 onwards, all French people will be able to sort all plastic household packaging within the framework of the extension project for plastics sorting instructions. Could you tell us how Elipso takes part in the project?
Elipso, along with its COTREP partners, advises its members on packaging recyclability as well as eco-design measures for recycling. The company Valorplast, whose reference shareholders are Elipso and PlasticsEurope, conducts R&D projects to improve sorting methods and enable the development of new ways of recovery for these recycled materials.
6- As the CNE’s President, what do you think are the major emerging subjects that the CNE could investigate within the framework of working groups?
I think that the allegations issue will be the next major subject, and the CNE has already taken a stand on this. The CNE, through its partnership with the ARPP[1], is very involved and legitimate about this issue. Consumers increasingly question the nature of their packaging, and the risk of “green washing” is always looming when it comes to marketing!
[1] Autorité de Régulation Professionnelle de la Publicité – French Professional Advertising Regulatory Authorities
