Bizkaiko Foru Aldundia - Diputación Foral de Bizkaia

Packaging material

All products manufactured with materials of any nature and which are used to contain, protect, handle, distribute and present goods, from raw materials to finished products, at any stage of manufacturing, distribution and consumption.

Packaging waste

All packaging materials of which the owner disposes or has the obligation to dispose of in accordance with current regulations.

Management of packaging waste

The collecting, classification, transport, storage, upgrading and elimination of packaging waste.

Prevention

The reduction, by means of the development of non contaminating products and techniques, of the amount and environmental impact of the materials and substances used in the packaging materials and present in packaging waste.

Reutilization

The operation of filling or reusing a packaging material.

Recycling (material upgrading)

The transformation of packaging waste for its original use or for other uses which are not for the recovery of energy.

Upgrading

All procedures that allows the use of resources contained in packaging waste, including incineration with the recovery of energy, without placing the health of human beings at risk and without using methods that could damage the environment.

Energy recovery

The use of combustible packaging waste to generate energy by means of direct incineration or without other waste, but with heat recovery.

Disposal

All procedures aimed either at the storage or controlled dumping of packaging waste or its total or partial destruction, without putting the health of human beings at risk and without using methods that could damage the environment.

The economic agents of the packaging materials and packaging waste are as follows:

• Manufacturers and importers or buyers in other member states of the European Union of raw materials for the manufacture of packaging materials as well as waste upgraders and recyclers.
• The manufacturers of packaging materials, packagers and sellers or distributors.
• Companies that recover packaging waste and used packaging.
• Consumers and users.
• Public administrations.