Latin America Moves on Recycling Laws

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Latin America Moves on Recycling Laws

MARYLAND, COLLEGE PARK, Apr. 4 -/E-Wire/-- A number of Latin American countries have moved to ban imports of hazardous wastes under the Basel Ban Amendments ' but this is causing some intra-market distortions, according to "Recycling & Solid Waste in Latin America, 2002 Update" published this month by Raymond Communications, Inc.

The report, written by consultant Keith Ripley, indicates that for example, when companies set out to comply with Brazil's rechargeable battery takeback law, they found they could not export the material to Argentina for recycling at an authorized Ni-Cd battery recycler because of these import bans. Thus, the batteries must be shipped to France.

Like the rest of the world, Latin Americans are increasingly purchasing their beverages in one-way plastic containers, rather than traditional reusable glass bottles that carried a voluntary deposit. The rising percentage of plastics in the waste stream is leading regulators in several countries to propose "producer responsibility"(EPR) laws for plastics, and there is regional interest in mandatory deposit systems.

More than six Latin American countries are actively pursuing new recycling policies that could impact exports of packaged goods, according to the new report. Ripley finds that more and more Latin American nations are considering laws providing incentives for materials recycling, recycled content in products, and green purchasing.

------Argentina has prepared a regulation on universal wastes that would impose special regimes on batteries, fluorescent lamps, high-pressure neon lights, printer cartridges, and another bill seeks to ban the use of PVC for beverage containers.

-------Brazil has existing national regulations on extended producer responsibility (EPR) regimes for batteries, tires and pesticide packaging, and is drafting them for packaging (including transport packaging), lamps, electronics and construction/demolition wastes. At the state and municipal levels, EPR and/or take-back mandates exist for aerosols, plastic packaging, non-returnable packaging, batteries, lamps and computer diskettes, with proposals pending for end-of-life vehicles, tires, electronics and expired medicines.

The 140-page report includes analysis of packaging growth; retail trends, emerging solid waste problems, and features more than 70 charts and illustrations, plus contact phone numbers, web sites, as well as organizations that can help companies export their products to Latin America.

Raymond Communications publishes the newsletters Recycling Laws International and State Recycling Laws Update. For information: contact Michele Raymond [REDACTED-PHONE]; fax [REDACTED-PHONE]; or check

Raymond Communications

Recycling Laws International/ State Recycling Laws,

5111 Berwyn Rd. Ste, 115 College Park, MD 20740),

301/345-4237, Fax 345-4768,

http://www.raymond.com

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