German waste and paper associations call for end-of-waste status for recovered paper
German waste management associations BDE and bvse, together with paper industry body Die Papierindustrie (DPI), have called on the German government for a binding, uniform regulation ending the waste status of recovered paper once it is sorted to DIN EN 643 quality standards. The groups, joined by Austrian bodies Austropapier and VOEB, are also commissioning a study by Vienna's Boku university to develop a method for measuring contaminants in mixed waste paper, to support a legally secure end-of-waste framework initially in Germany and eventually across Europe.
Why this mattersA binding end-of-waste status would ease recovered fibre trading and supply for European paper and packaging mills, reducing regulatory uncertainty in a key raw material stream.
- BDE, bvse and Die Papierindustrie (DPI) jointly call for a binding end-of-waste rule for recovered paper in Germany, with a longer-term aim of EU-wide application
- Waste paper would gain product status once separately collected, sorted by certified disposal firms and quality-assured to DIN EN 643 grade definitions for groups 1 to 4
- Austrian associations Austropapier and VOEB join the German groups in commissioning an accompanying study
- The research project at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna (Boku) will develop a standardised method to quantify contaminants in mixed waste paper
- The study will include analysis of existing standards, development of sampling and analysis strategies, and practical testing at model facilities