The European Organization for Packaging and the Environment (EUROPEN) is an industry and trade organization open to any company with an economic interest in packaging and packaged products. It presents the opinion of its members on issues related to packaging and the environment.
Successful packaging policies will be those which are environmentally, economically and scientifically sound, as well as socially and politically acceptable. Members of EUROPEN are identified as companies which support a united industry and trade organization, dedicated to satisfactorily resolving the environmental challenges facing the packaging chain in an active and co-operative manner without favouring any specific packaging material or system.
EUROPEN is the only pan-European organization dedicated exclusively to issues concerning packaging and the environment with membership open to all partners in the packaging chain:
- producers of any packaging material
- packaging manufacturers
- users of packaging (regardless of product and method of sales and distribution)
- companies engaged in the distributive and retail trade
- companies engaged in the recovery of packaging materials and waste disposal operations
- national organizations with similar objectives to EUROPEN
Participation of companies from each of these packaging chain sectors guarantees fair and practicable results. As an important aspect of serving the interests and meeting the needs of its corporate and national members, EUROPEN maintains contact, shares information and promotes its views with outside audiences. These include:
- Sectoral industry and trade organizations with an interest in packaging and environmental issues
- Pan-European legislative and administrative bodies and (through the appropriate national associations) national and local governments
- The public at large, via media contacts, leaders of industry, consumer groups, environmentalists and other key opinion formers
- The scientific and academic community
EUROPEN is dedicated to taking a leading role in promoting better understanding of packaging and its benefits. Other industry and trade organizations representing individual sectors of the packaging chain are also actively involved in the packaging and environment debate. EUROPEN maintains direct liaison with such organizations and co-ordinates its activities with them to avoid duplication or to act in a supporting role as appropriate.
