Every kilogram of plastic counts!
DSD’s Environmental Performance Balance for 2010: Total recovery rate at 104 % / Der Grüne Punkt saves energy and contributes substantially to climate protection
Cologne, 29 June 2011. The recovery rates achieved by the Dual System for used sales packages rose once again in 2010, and continue to run at a very high level. The total recovery rate, at 104 percent, is once again above 100 percent – which means that Der Grüne Punkt – Duales System Deutschland GmbH (DSD) collected and recycled more packages than were actually participating in its dual system.
“Last year, fewer packages were registered in the dual system than in 2009, although just as many packages were collected from consumers as in the preceding year”, explains Stefan Schreiter, DSD’s CEO. “This is a disquieting development, since manifestly more boltholes have again been used in order to smuggle past the dual system packages that consumers dispose of in the Yellow Sack and the Yellow Bin, and thus to defraud first dealers and consumers.”
Each kilogram of plastic recycled saves 1.3 kilograms of CO2
“There’s more at stake here, though, than merely meeting statutory requirements”, emphasizes Stefan Schreiter. “Recycling with Der Grüne Punkt is good for the climate, and secures valuable raw materials for the business community.” Last year, for example, by recycling used packages DSD saved 49 billion megajoules of primary energy, preventing the emission of 1.3 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalents. “Each kilogram of plastic that consumers put in the Yellow Bin or the Yellow Sack instead of throwing it away with the non-recyclables saves 1.3 kilograms of CO2”, says Schreiter. The secondary raw materials produced from the packages collected are meanwhile selling like hot cakes in the industrial sector.
DSD has overfulfilled all the recovery rates laid down in the German Packaging Ordinance: 93 percent of the registered glass packages were recycled, compared to the requirements of 75 percent. In the case of packages made of paper, board and cardboard the rate achieved is 112 percent (requirement: 70 percent), for lightweight packages 117 percent (requirement: 60 to 70 percent, depending on the type of material involved).
You will find the current Environmental Performance Balance of Der Grüne Punkt here.
Your contact person:
Klaus Hillebrand, Tel.: +49 (0) 22 03 / 937-257
About DSD:
Der Grüne Punkt – Duales System Deutschland GmbH (DSD) has since 1990 set up and organized the world’s first dual system for close-to-home, high-quality recovery of sales packaging. DSD is today, with approximately 250 employees at four facilities in Germany, a leading provider of take-back systems. These include not only the dual system itself, but also eco-friendly, cost-efficient recycling of used electric and electronic equipment, plus transport and commercial packaging, facility disposal and deposit clearing. DSD is a founding member of the European Green Dot umbrella organization PRO EUROPE, and through its subsidiary Deutsche Gesellschaft für Kreislaufwirtschaft und Rohstoffe mbH (DKR) a leading marketer for secondary raw materials in Europe.
