Ecoembes: Your most complex report in Europe and how we can help you
by Jennifer Brook at 13:45 in Circular Economy, Environmental, Packaging
As one of the biggest producer responsibility organisations (PROs) or schemes in Europe, Ecoembes is a leading player in the world of EPR. They are the main packaging scheme in Spain, and require producers who sell packaged products into Spain to report annually on multiple, different data points.
At Lorax, we have studied this report for many years and have an in-depth knowledge of the requirements, from a detailed research perspective all the way through to a unique, automated software that can take your data and build your report for you. There's more to it than meets the eye!
Reporting across Europe
Every country is different when it comes to EPR legislation and subsequent PRO requirements. Some PROs require packaging weights to be reported against a simple set of materials: paper, plastic, metal, glass, wood. Others, including Ecoembes, split out material categories like plastic, requiring much more granular data: 'rigid HDPE', 'flexible LDPE', '3-litre PET beverage bottles', 'other plastic' and 'reusable plastic bags conforming to the UNE Standard' are just some of the material categories at Ecoembes. The PRO will then charge you fees intended to cover packaging waste management costs. Some schemes increase these fees for packaging that is hard to recycle, as a penalty – this is called eco-modulation and is coming to Ecoembes next year. After collecting your data, you will need to complete a declaration form, which differs by language and structure across Europe.
Ecoembes - the report
Ecoembes requires their members to fill out an Excel file with their data, and then upload it to an online platform. Unlike other European schemes which may have 1 or 2 tabs on the Excel form to report their packaging materials and weights, Ecoembes has 7, with a further 16 master tabs to list which packaging elements must be reported on which tab, and in conjunction with which other packaging and descriptors. Once uploaded, an error file is often generated, and all errors must be resolved before the form can be submitted.
The tabs on the form interlink and work together. For example, there is a 'Packaging Family' master tab (Maestro Familia Envases) with codes for 30 types of packaging, such as bottle, label and 'brick', the word for Tetra Pak-style, brick-shaped beverage cartons. Then there is a 'Packaging Details' master tab (Maestro Detalle Envases) with 102 extended codes to break out each family: 'label' becomes 'wrap-around label', 'self-adhesive label', and 'label with greater than or equal to 2/3rds coverage with forced removal', and so on.
The role of Lorax
This is a team effort. Our Research team has studied this form and the online resources, and communicated directly with the Ecoembes team to make sure we have the best understanding of what is required for each field. Our Customer Accounts team has worked extensively with clients, processing and then submitting their data to the online platform in the right way. And our Software Development team have curated a bespoke software that can generate a report based on your data, at the push of a button. So don't hesitate! If you are interested in learning more about how we can help you report next year, speak with one of our team today.
Click here to receive regular updates on blog posts, webinars, and regulatory changes directly to your inbox
