Profile
Biorepack is the Italian national consortium for the organic recycling of biodegradable and compostable plastic packaging, a sector it represents within the CONAI system.
It is responsible for the end-of-life management of EN 13432-certified compostable bioplastic packaging (and other similar components) provided through the separate collection and recycling of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW).
Established on 26 November 2018 pursuant to Article 223 of Legislative Decree 152/2006, the consortium is the first EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) scheme in Europe in the compostable bioplastic packaging sector. Its field of activity – the domestic food waste chain – is also an entirely new development within the CONAI system.
It has legal personality under private law and is non-profit, operating throughout the country in accordance with the principles of the circular economy and the bioeconomy.
Objective
Over time, Biorepack aims to achieve certain minimum recycling targets by weight, as a proportion of the amount of biodegradable and compostable plastic packaging placed on the market:
- 50% by 31 December 2025
- 55% by 31 December 2030.
Activities
Biorepack aims to optimise the end-of-life management of compostable bioplastic packaging through promotion of labelling and recognisability, encouraging correct disposal of this packaging by the public together with separately-collected household food waste and by ensuring that recycling targets are met through composting, including by way of specific communication campaigns.
In particular, it is concerned with:
- the collection/recycling of biodegradable and compostable plastic packaging waste and similar components, delivered to the public collection service, particularly the separate collection of (OFMSW) on the instructions of CONAI;
- the development of separate collection of biodegradable and compostable plastic packaging waste together with (OFMSW);
- organic recycling of biodegradable and compostable plastic packaging waste and similar components in composting plants, including those contained in anaerobic plants;
- monitoring the release of biodegradable and compostable plastic packaging and similar components for consumption and their collection and recycling performance;
- the labelling of biodegradable and compostable plastic packaging and similar components, as well as their capacity to be recognised by citizens/consumers, for the proper management of these materials within the separate collection of (OFMSW).
- conducting information and/or communication campaigns to raise awareness and provide guidance to citizens and consumers on the correct ways to use, dispose of and recycle packaging;
- combating illegality to counter offences relating to false environmental declarations or false certifications within the sector.
Agreements
Biorepack and ANCI – the National Association of Italian Municipalities – have signed a specific agreement through which specific partnership agreements are drawn up with local authorities or their delegated operators, which undertake to collect, transport and send for recycling all compostable bioplastic packaging waste disposed of by citizens together with municipal food waste.
Based on the amount of compostable bioplastic packaging waste that individual partners send for processing (organic recycling) as well as the quality of the municipal food waste, Biorepack makes financial payments to cover the costs of separate collection, transport and organic recycling.
Financial guarantee, supervision and statute
Biorepack is under an obligation to ensure balanced financial management. To this end, the financial resources it requires to operate include the Environmental Contribution, i.e. funding from CONAI.
The CONAI Environmental Contribution was set at €294/tonne from 1 July 2021.
The Biorepack Consortium operates under the supervision of the Ministry of Ecological Transition and the Ministry of Economic Development, to which it must periodically report on its activities and results as well as on its future plans.
The Biorepack statute was approved by a Decree of the Minister of the Environment and Land and Sea Protection of 16 October 2020 together with the Minister of Economic Development, and was published in the Official Gazette – General Series no. 284 – on 14 November 2020.