EPR as a tool for advertising paper waste prevention

05 June 2013

The Flanders decree of 2 July 1981 concerning the prevention and management of waste products stipulates that ‘Environmental Policy Agreements (EPA)’ can be concluded for reaching certain objectives. The same decree designated the product groups for which an acceptance duty is set with the aim to collect and recycle. The ‘Flanders regulation with regard to waste prevention and management (VLAREA)’ of 1998 provides the ‘execution resolutions’ for the decree of 1981 concerning the prevention and management of waste products. Advertising paper in VLAREA is defined as all printed matters that appear less than 5x/week and wherein less than 30% of articles refer to general information and includes newspapers, weekly magazines, periodicals, free regional press & free publications, telephone- and fax guides and publicity press and other printed matter. The first EPA for advertising press was published in the Belgian Monitor on February 10, 1999. Even though this agreement had a running time of only 5 years it was decided to prolong this agreement implicitly.

For more information:www.ovam.be

General data

Country	Belgium
RA/LA	Flanders
Population	6,2 million
Waste generated (kg/inh/y)	Waste 545 - Paper 82

Waste prevention activity data

Waste flow	Paper waste : Graphic paper (junk mail)
Strategy	Reduce unwanted/unaddressed mail
Scale	Roll out
Year(s) of tde project development	1999
Participation target	30% of Flanders population receiving a ‘no junk mail’ sticker
Waste reduction target	Less 16% advertising paper by 2003 as compared to 1999
Participation rate	10% of Flanders population using the ‘no junk mail’ sticker
Waste quantities reduced	In 2003 the target of less 16% had been reached. Since then a slight increase of publicity printed matter arose leveling at less 7% in 2006 (as compared to 1999 figures).
Budget	/