- composite packaging
shall mean packaging made of two or more layers of different materials which cannot be separated by hand and form a single integral unit, consisting of an inner receptacle and an outer enclosure, that it is filled, stored, transported and emptied as such;
- disposal
shall mean any of the applicable operations provided for in Annex II.A to Directive 75/442/EEC;
- energy recovery
shall mean the use of combustible packaging waste as a means to generate energy through direct incineration with or without other waste but with recovery of the heat;
- lightweight plastic carrier bags
shall mean plastic carrier bags with a wall thickness below 50 microns;
- organic recycling
shall mean the aerobic (composting) or anaerobic (biomethanization) treatment, under controlled conditions and using micro-organisms, of the biodegradable parts of packaging waste, which produces stabilized organic residues or methane.
- oxo-degradable plastic carrier bags
shall mean plastic carrier bags made of plastic materials that include additives which catalyse the fragmentation of the plastic material into micro-fragments;
- packaging
shall mean all products made of any materials of any nature to be used for the containment, protection, handling, delivery and presentation of goods, from raw materials to processed goods, from the producer to the user or the consumer.
- packaging waste
shall mean any packaging or packaging material covered by the definition of waste laid down in Article 3 of Directive 2008/98/EC, excluding production residues;
- packaging waste management
shall mean the management of waste as defined in Directive 75/442/EEC;
- plastic
shall mean a polymer within the meaning of Article 3(5) of Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council, to which additives or other substances may have been added, and which is capable of functioning as a main structural component of carrier bags;
- plastic carrier bags
shall mean carrier bags, with or without handle, made of plastic, which are supplied to consumers at the point of sale of goods or products;
- prevention
shall mean the reduction of the quantity and of the harmfulness for the environment of: in particular by developing ‘clean’ products and technology;
- recovery
shall mean any of the applicable operations provided for in Annex II.B to Directive 75/442/EEC;
- recycling
shall mean the reprocessing in a production process of the waste materials for the original purpose or for other purposes including organic recycling but excluding energy recovery;
- reusable packaging
shall mean packaging which has been conceived, designed and placed on the market to accomplish within its lifecycle multiple trips or rotations by being refilled or reused for the same purpose for which it was conceived;
- reuse
shall mean any operation by which packaging, which has been conceived and designed to accomplish within its life cycle a minimum number of trips or rotations, is refilled or used for the same purpose for which it was conceived, with or without the support of auxiliary products present on the market enabling the packaging to be refilled;
- very lightweight plastic carrier bags
shall mean plastic carrier bags with a wall thickness below 15 microns which are required for hygiene purposes or provided as primary packaging for loose food when this helps to prevent food wastage;
- voluntary agreement
shall mean the formal agreement concluded between the competent public authorities of the Member State and the economic sectors concerned, which has to be open to all partners who wish to meet the conditions of the agreement with a view to working towards the objectives of this Directive.