Slovakia Waste Act Changes - Packaging
by Emma Mundy at 12:29 in Environmental, Packaging
The new Slovakia Waste Management Act 79/2015 Coll. came into force in January 2016, with some provisions of the act valid from July 2016, to increase the separate collection and recycling of certain types of waste. The new act governs the entire waste management sector. The act covers electrical and electronic equipment, batteries and accumulators, packaging, vehicles, tyres and non-packaging products. It is hoped that the new law will bring Slovakia's waste policy more in line with that of the EUs.
Legislation
The changes affect all levels of waste management and include:
- The end of the Recycling Fund
- Obligation on producers and municipalities on separation and recycling of waste and to reduce illegal landfills.
- Producer responsibility for different types of waste streams have become similar e.g. WEEE, batteries, packaging, non-packaging products.
- Foreign companies with no base in Slovakia are obligated to comply through an authorised representative.
- Non-packaging products are now under the extended producer responsibility regime rather than the recycling fund.
Packaging changes
Specifically for packaging the Act brings about changes such as:
- The definition of a packaging producer. The new act is more explicit in identifying who is obligated to meet packaging obligations. This may change the position of an obligated party and it will mean that companies need to check their producer status once again.
- Both the Prevention Program and the Waste Originators Waste Management Program have been abolished.
- Specific obligations for packaging filled with hazardous substances.
- Reusable wooden pallets are not reported until they become waste rather than on their first introduction to the market.
Reporting
Changes to reporting have only recently been published. The changes include:
- Packaging, WEEE, batteries and non-packaging products can now be reported through producer responsibility organisations and fees are available on request.
- Consumer and wholesale and transport packaging is no longer reported separately on the form but instead the total of all packaging is reported together split by disposable packaging, reusable packaging and packaging containing hazardous substances.
- The way composites are reported has changed and reporting is now based on the predominant material except for multilayer combined paperboard based materials which are reported separately.
- Hazardous waste is no longer reported separately on the data form but reported on the standard statement instead.
The changes take effect from the Quarter 3 submission. If you have any queries on the changes to the law in Slovakia, your producer status or your reporting to any compliance scheme in Slovakia please do not hesitate to contact us on info@loraxcompliance.com. Our next blog will focus on the non-packaging product obligations in Slovakia.
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