The Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI) said the vote in Strasbourg will save more than 20,000 direct green jobs in the paper industry and an estimated additional 140,000 indirect jobs in Europe.
“We are glad to see the European Parliament remembered that the original purpose of defining when something is no longer to be considered a waste was to facilitate recycling not to obstruct it,” comments Teresa Presas, director general of CEPI.
If this legislation had passed, it would have relaxed the EU’s waste management rules and triggered a flight of waste paper out of the EU to Asia, pushing up prices in Europe and undermining the quality of waste paper available for the European recycling sector.
Paper recycling in Europe could have dropped from about 47 million tonnes per year to 37 million tonnes, leading to closures of mills, including many small and medium-sized operators.
“We are delighted that the voice of reason has finally emerged,” said Jori Ringman-Beck, CEPI recycling and product director. “We now hope that the Commission’s environmental protection department will reflect on the content of this resolution and revise the criteria for determining when used paper is waste and when it’s not.”
