Valorlux Raises Awareness of Sustainable Waste Management on 25th Anniversary

To mark its 25 years of existence, the non-profit association Valorlux has adopted a new visual identity accompanied by the message: "Be the Change".

Founded in 1995, Valorlux is the result of the joint initiative of companies who place packaged products on the Luxembourg market. The objective was to put in place an ecological and economical solution to the management of household packaging waste while meeting legal obligations in this area. As such, the non-profit's mission is to achieve, on behalf of its member companies, the recycling rates imposed by the legislator while organising the selective collection, sorting and recycling of packaging waste in Luxembourg.

Over the years, Valorlux has been able to encourage and participate in the development of collection techniques and sorting technologies. In order to reduce the environmental impact of transporting packaging waste collections, the association recently set up transfer centres in collaboration with collectors. In terms of sorting packaging waste, Valorlux collaborates with the sorting centre of Hein Déchets, a company located in Bech-Kleinmacher in south-eastern Luxembourg. The recycling of packaging waste is carried out by approved European recyclers located for the most part in the countries bordering Luxembourg in order to minimise the impact of transport.

In terms of prevention and eco-design of packaging, Valorlux also advises companies producing packaging on reducing the weight of their packaging and on the choice of recycled and / or recyclable materials. Claude Turping, director of Valorlux, explained: “Before putting new packaging on the market, some companies, concerned about the environmental impact of their packaging, ask us to perform tests to ensure that their packaging is sortable and can find its way into a recycling channel”. 

At the global level, the objectives of sustainable development and the 2030 agenda, among others, pose the question of recycling in terms of interpersonal skills, etiquette and know-how. In Luxembourg, the public have been involved in this for the past 25 years and this can be seen in the results of the collection and recycling of packaging which exceeds the legal minimums. 

A complementary evolution of mentalities vis-à-vis reuse and recycling seems to be underway with the gradual perception of the “added value” dimension of waste. Valorlux thus considers it essential to continue to raise awareness and support the public, businesses and institutions in the fields of sorting, collection and recycling.

"We considered it important to provide ourselves with a strong and impactful message that invites each person, individually or collectively to be an actor in their environmental future," explained Claude Turping. This message encourages behavioural change in favour of the circular economy and the preservation of natural resources. “Every action is important. Each actor in the chain has his role to play. From eco-design, which allows a reduction in the volume of packaging waste, to good selective sorting practices, the real challenge is to meet common recycling objectives while taking into account the individual responsibilities of each of the players, from producer to consumer".

By 2025 and 2030, collection and recycling rates will increase and become more demanding. European targets are becoming more ambitious. By the end of 2025 at the latest, at least 65% by weight of all packaging waste should be recycled. By the end of 2030, at least 70% by weight of all packaging waste must be recycled. For plastic packaging more specifically, the minimum recycling rates go from 22.5% to 50% by 2025 and from 50% to 55% from 2025 to 2030.

“To achieve these new goals, we need to strengthen the range of packaging waste collected. This is why we launched in 2019 at the request of the Environment Administration, a pilot project allowing the 125,000 inhabitants of the 46 municipalities in the north of the country to put their jars, cups, trays, films and plastic bags in their Valorlux blue bag [...]. By expanding the range, the quantities collected have increased by 35%, with a good quality rate. Extending this system nationwide should help us exceed the 50% target. We are strongly focusing on strengthening the range of packaging collected via door-to-door collection using the Valorlux blue bag", stated Claude Turping.

In terms of prevention, again by 2025, the challenge will be to reduce the level of annual consumption of single-use plastic bags to 40 bags per person instead of the current 90. The Valorlux director concluded: “This is why, in collaboration with the clc and the Environment Administration, we encourage the use and reuse of shopping bags such as the Eco-bag which has existed for 15 years and the Superbag®, the bag for fruits and vegetables launched in 2019. These products are available from our partner brands".

From today, Monday 26 October 2020, Valorlux’s new visual identity will be shared via the media and social networks as part of a campaign. The film “Be the Change” dedicated to this campaign is also available on www.valorlux.lu.