is an initiative of Valipac
Before starting your declaration, it is useful to be aware of a few concepts. Some types of packaging do not have to be reported, while others must be declared to Fost Plus. In this section we explain everything you need to know in detail.
When submitting your declaration, we also ask you to enter the product group corresponding to your company’s activity. You will find the Overview of product groups (French version) under the heading “Useful documents”.
First and foremost, you must distinguish packaging from non-packaging. This distinction is based on agreements between Fost Plus, Valipac and the IRPC. If you have any doubts about this, consult the packaging/non-packaging list.
Consult the packaging/non-packaging list (French version) in “Useful documents”.
Internal packaging is only used within the company itself (for example, to transport the product to the site itself, to store it or to protect it temporarily). Internal packaging must not be declared.
We never talk about internal packaging when goods are transported on public roads (even if the company’s sites are only separated by a road). A company that transports goods from one site to another for processing must include the packaging used for transport in its declaration.
Don’t know for sure whether you can consider packaging as internal packaging?
A company manufactures bricks and stores a batch of these bricks which must be processed later. These bricks are stacked on pallets and wrapped in plastic film. This packaging is internal packaging. As it is only used within the company itself, it does not have to be declared.
Single-use and reusable packaging must be declared separately.
For single-use packaging, which is subject to the take-back and reporting obligation, a recycling rate of 80% must be demonstrated.
Reusable packaging is only subject to the reporting obligation. Valipac calculates the ratio of single-use packaging to reusable packaging. This allows authorities and industry to monitor market developments in reusable packaging compared to single-use packaging. Therefore, it is important to declare them. You do not pay any contribution for reusable packaging.
Packaging is reusable if the following conditions are met cumulatively:
Our decision tree will help you to determine if your packaging can be considered reusable or not.
The IRPC requires us to distinguish between primary, secondary and tertiary packaging. This is the reason why we also ask you to take this into account in your declaration.
is the sales packaging, designed to contain one sales unit for the end user.
Example: soap packaged individually in a cardboard box.
is grouped packaging, designed to contain different sales units.
Example: a large cardboard box containing 50 individually wrapped bars of soap.
is transport packaging, designed to prevent damage related to the handling and transport of goods.
Example: the pallet and stretch film on which 20 cardboard boxes are stacked.
The distinction between household packaging and C&I packaging plays an important role for primary packaging.
To Valipac you declare only the C&I packaging, while you report household packaging to Fost Plus.
You can determine this distinction as follows:
Is the product intended for the exclusive use of professionals, industry, communities, schools, hospitals, etc.?
The grey list for the distinction between household and industrial products was established by Valipac and Fost Plus, in collaboration with the sectoral federations and approved by the IRPC.
A 250g mayonnaise jar is a household packaging. On the other hand, the same mayonnaise packed in a 10 kg bucket is a C&I packaging. But what about the 1.5 kg mayonnaise jar? The grey list indicates that the threshold for ready-made sauces is 1.2 kg. In other words, all mayonnaise jars over 1.2 kg are C&I packaging.
A multipack is the packaging around the product (often household) which constitutes a sales unit at the point of sale (e.g., the plastic film around 6 beverage cans).
Parcel packaging is transport packaging used only for sales to individuals in the context of purchases on the internet, by mail order or courier. In the context of internet sales, courier delivery, etc. to companies, there is never any question of parcel packaging.
In our report to the IRPC, recyclable and non-recyclable packaging must be declared separately. This is why we also ask you to make this distinction in your declaration.
The IRPC defines non-recyclable packaging as follows: “A non-recyclable packaging is packaging whose waste is not used in a new product within the framework of the usual practices of collection, sorting and processing. The content of the packaging does not affect its recyclability”.
In practice, the composition of a packaging will determine whether it is recyclable or not. This implies that the packaging of hazardous products is not necessarily non-recyclable. The recyclability of packaging is determined here from the point of view of mechanical recycling.
The packaging below are considered as non-recyclable:
Primary packaging of hazardous products must also be declared separately.
The rule is as follows: if the product contained in the packaging is toxic, dangerous, corrosive or similar, the packaging is also considered to be hazardous product packaging. In most cases, this is packaging subject to CLP regulations (packaging of mixtures or chemical substances classified as hazardous). Often this is indicated by hazard pictograms on the packaging.
