Tools in a class of their own correctly labelled for each country

Reading time: 2 Minutes, 16 Seconds

Stahlwille Eduard Wille GmbH & Co. KG answers the question of which tools and tool solutions are needed by professional users in a wide range of sectors – from crafts to agriculture, commerce, industry and energy production to the mobility sector. Country-specific questions about legally compliant packaging labelling in France, Italy and Spain were answered by our RecycleMe experts for the company with a long tradition dating back 160 years.

Informational report as a basis for further measures

For STAHLWILLE, a detailed informational report including packaging analysis was prepared on the subject of labelling obligations for packaging for the countries Italy, France and Spain. By analysing a customer-specific packaging sample (multi-component packaging) within the scope of this informational report, the implementation of the theoretical requirements (including contents/ symbols of the labels, position and size) could be directly reproduced in practice. The aim was to provide STAHLWILLE with a guideline that can be used to implement the labelling requirements for the entire product and packaging range.

Individual expert discussion on labelling obligations

Based on the detailed informational report, company-specific detailed questions were answered in an expert discussion additionally. “It was particularly important for my team that we could ask all our questions about Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and international labelling obligations and receive well-founded statements and answers from the RecycleMe experts. The practical work on our own packaging sample also made the theoretical requirements of the various labelling obligations more tangible,” says Sebastian Künzelt from STAHLWILLE, summing up the joint project.

Best possible preparation for changes in the law

In addition, a planning horizon for STAHLWILLE was created with an outlook on future requirements and regulations. With this forecast, all business units involved can best prepare for changes in legislation and EPR requirements.

For example, at the end of 2022, the regulations for packaging and packaging waste in Spain were revised and a royal decree was issued with new targets for the recycling of packaging. In France, on the other hand, additional obligations regarding end-user information were introduced in 2023. Based on the French Circular Economy Act (AGEC), consumers will have to be informed about the environmental qualities and characteristics of waste-generating products in the future.

“Labelling obligations and legal requirements for the handling of packaging and packaging waste are currently developing rapidly throughout Europe. In addition, there are efforts towards harmonisation at EU level. Our monitoring team continuously conducts research on legal innovations in the field of extended producer responsibility and the circular economy of packaging. Within the framework of our reports and customer-specific workshops, we pass on this knowledge to customers and develop concrete, sector-specific solutions,” says Katharina Brand-Haushofer, explaining the interplay between our two consulting fields of monitoring and international labelling obligations for packaging.