Luxembourg
Luxembourg, a sovereign Grand Duchy situated at the heart of Europe, is bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. With three official languages—Luxembourgish, French, and German—and a population in which foreign nationals represent more than half of the residents, Luxembourg reflects a unique blend of cultural diversity and European identity.
In addition to its strong financial sector and dynamic economy, Luxembourg is deeply committed to sustainability and environmental responsibility. A central element of this commitment is the implementation of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system, in line with European Union legislation. The EPR framework requires producers and importers to assume responsibility for the environmental impact of the products they place on the market, particularly regarding their collection, recycling, and end-of-life management.
The system applies to several categories, including packaging waste, electrical and electronic equipment, batteries, and end-of-life vehicles. Producers can fulfill their obligations individually or by joining accredited eco-organizations—such as Valorlux for packaging—that coordinate the collection and recycling process. This approach not only ensures compliance with EU regulations but also supports Luxembourg’s transition towards a circular economy, encouraging eco-design, waste reduction, and resource efficiency.
Through the EPR system, Luxembourg strengthens its environmental policies while fostering innovation and responsibility across industries, aligning economic growth with long-term sustainability goals.
Legal basis
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Legislation on packaging waste is increasingly strict and binding be it at a European or at a national level.
The amended grand-ducal Regulation of October 31st 1998 transposes into national law the European Directive 94/62/EC on Packaging and Packaging Waste as well as its March 2005 revision.
The regulation established several obligations the Party Responsible for Packaging has to abide by:
collection of packaging for recycling and/or recovery purpose in order to reach the recycling and recovery rates defined by the amended Grand-Duchy Regulation;
Information of the consumers about the measures taken to reduce packaging waste and what has become of the collected packaging. Yearly report to the Administration in charge of the environment;
Prevention actions in relation with packaging
The legal recycling/recovering rates are:
| Glass | 60% |
| Paper/cardboard | 60% |
| Metal | 50% |
| Plastics | 22,5% |
| Wood | 15% |
| Total recovery | 65% |
The Party Responsible for Packaging may fulfill his obligation personally or ask a registered body to do it for him: VALORLUX a.s.b.l. for instance.
In the name of its members, VALORLUX aims at reaching the recycling and recovery rates and the information and prevention targets imposed by the legislator.
Facts and figures
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Data 2012
| Population | 524,853 |
| No. of local authorities | 106 municipalities 105 municipalities with VALORLUX blue bag collections 116 municipalities benefit from financial support |
| No. of companies in system | 1,076 membres |
| Packaging introduced to the market | 53,175 tons of declared household packaging 10,281 tons of declared commercial packaging |
| Recovered waste | 46,739 tons packaging waste 73.48% overall recovery 72.08% recycled |
| Types of packaging | Household and commercial |
In 2012, VALORLUX collected 90.56kg of packaging per inhabitant including 14.17 of PMC (Plastic bottles and containers, metal packaging, beverage cartons collected by blue bags), 59.69 kg was collected by the municipalities and 16.70 kg was commercial packaging.
Packaging organisation/s in Luxembourg:
