Fost Plus
Belgium
Fost Plus promotes, coordinates and finances the selective collection, sorting and recycling of household packaging waste in Belgium. Fost Plus is a not-for-profit organization, set up and financed by industry. It cooperates with inter-municipalities, private waste management companies and recyclers to organize the collection and recycling of household packaging. This includes glass, paper-cardboard and PMD (Plastic bottles & flasks, Metal packaging and Drinks cartons).
Fost Plus introduced the system of selective collection in 1994 and continues investing in its further optimization. Fost Plus actively encourages citizens to sort properly and respect
Organisation
In order to achieve the stringent legal recycling objectives, obliged companies can become a member of Fost Plus. They are required to pay a contribution to Fost Plus, depending on the quantity and the type of packaging they put onto the market.
Fost Plus cooperates with inter-municipal authorities, who are responsible for waste management within their borders. They can execute the selective collection themselves or use the services of specialized subcontractors.
In order to guarantee an efficient collection, Fost Plus foresees the following collection scheme:
- PMD: transparent blue bags are collected door-to-door. They can only contain plastic bottles and flasks, metal packaging and drinks cartons.
- Paper and cardboard are collected door-to-door.
- Glass is collected via bottle banks. Colored glass is separated from white glass.
Glass, paper and cardboard go straight to recycling companies. The blue PMD bags are first taken to sorting centers, where they are sorted into mono-material streams (PET bottles, HDPE flasks, aluminium packaging, steel packaging and drinks cartons) before going to specialized recyclers.
Communication activities
The correct sorting of packaging waste is essential in order to guarantee an effective recycling process. That is why Fost Plus continuously invests in campaigns that remind the public at large of the sorting guidelines, both at a national and a local level.
Sorting has become a natural reflex for consumers in their homes. Outside of the residential environment however, sorting does not come as naturally. Fost Plus has launched several initiatives to stimulate people to sort wherever they may be — at school, at work, on the beach, during festivals, in sports and recreational centres, and in public places such as stations and airports.
At the same time, Fost Plus and its members also continue their battle against street litter, the uncivilized behaviour of consumers who abandon their waste—including cigarette butts, cans and tissues—in public places.
Fost Plus also organizes various initiatives to promote company efforts in the area of prevention. Along with other partners, Fost Plus has launched www.preventpack.be which aims to inform and support companies in their prevention initiatives. Fost Plus has also created the Website www.pack4recycling.be which enables companies to test how easy their packaging is to recycle.
Contact
asbl Fost Plus vzw
avenue des Olympiades 2
BE-1140 Brussel
Tel: +32 2 775 03 50
Web: www.fostplus.be
E-mail: