Waste treatment
Companies bear the financial responsibility for the collection, sorting, and treatment of their packaging when it becomes waste, under producer responsibility - both from households and businesses. For household waste, companies (the producers) also take on the practical responsibility for waste treatment. For commercial waste, it is the waste-producing companies that assume the practical responsibility.
Difference between producer and waste-producing company
Producer is a company that places packaging and/or filled packaging on the market. They have the financial responsibility for the waste treatment of their packaging sold to both households and businesses (waste-producing companies).
Waste-producing company is a company that is a end user of packaging waste (turns it into waste). They have the practical responsibility for ensuring that the waste is waste treated – just as they have always had and done.
Household Waste
Through the producer responsibility organisation (PRO), companies have the financial responsibility for the collection, sorting, and treatment of packaging. The practical responsibility is shared between the municipality and the producer responsibility organisation (PRO). The municipalities are responsible for collection in households, and the producer responsibility organisation (PRO) is responsible for waste treatment. The producer responsibility organisations only need to cover the costs for the part of the waste that consists of packaging:
- Citizens buy packaged products, after which the packaging becomes waste. The municipalities are responsible for the collection in households. The producer responsibility organisation (PRO) pays a fee to the municipality as compensation for the collection of packaging in the waste. The waste is transferred to the producer responsibility organisation (PRO). Citizens pay through their waste collection fee for the part of the waste that is not packaging.
- The producer responsibility organisation (PRO) has the organisational responsibility for ensuring that the waste is treated and recycled. The producer responsibility organisation (PRO) is compensated by the municipality for the part of the waste that is not packaging.
Commercial Waste
The waste-producing company has the practical responsibility for ensuring that packaging waste is treated. The packaging waste is usually handed over to private waste collectors.
- The waste-producing company purchases packaged products, after which the packaging becomes waste. The company makes an agreement with a private waste collector that ensures the collection, sorting, and recycling of the packaging waste.
