Belgium faces a significant challenge with counterfeit goods flooding its market.
From luxury items like Chanel and Louis Vuitton shoes to jeans bearing false Levi's logos, counterfeit products have become alarmingly pervasive. In 2022, Belgian authorities seized an astonishing 189,152 counterfeit items across the country.
The Federal Public Service (FPS) Economy reported that among the confiscated counterfeits, perfumes, care products, electronic devices and toys were the most prevalent. Recognizing the environmental unsustainability of destroying these items through incineration, the FPS Economy has taken proactive steps to find alternative solutions. They have partnered with a specialised waste management company to recycle certain materials from these counterfeit luxury goods and direct them to appropriate recycling and recovery channels.
A new recycling process
The first step in the recycling process involves making the counterfeit products physically inoperable to render them unsellable. For instance, shoes may be damaged by striking them with cutters under close supervision.
In a recent RTBF report, Material Recovery Specialist at the Vanheede Environment Group Judith De Koninck said that a considerable percentage of the over eight million kilograms of counterfeit products sorted and dismantled between January and May 2023 could be recycled or recovered, with a focus on reclaiming reusable materials and ensuring the erasure of any digital data contained within the counterfeit products.
Packaging associated with counterfeit goods also undergoes recycling measures. Materials like cardboard, paper, straps, and glass are selectively collected for recycling purposes. Cardboard, for example, is repurposed to create new packaging materials, contributing to a more sustainable and circular economy. Packaging that cannot be recycled is transformed into fuel for industrial production processes.
Belgium's efforts in recycling and waste management demonstrate a commitment to addressing the counterfeit goods problem while minimising its environmental impact.
Belgians continue purchasing counterfeit products
However, despite the awareness of the negative impact of counterfeit goods, a survey by the European Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) revealed that 13% of Belgians admitted to consciously purchasing counterfeit products in the past twelve months. The trend is more pronounced among young people, with nearly half of them acknowledging their involvement in such purchases.
Counterfeit goods pictured at a press meeting in Mechelen. Credit: Belga/ Eric Lalmand
The report highlights that there is a general consensus on the importance of protecting intellectual property rights, yet a significant number of respondents, especially young individuals, find it acceptable to buy counterfeits when the original products are too expensive. While young people tend to be more aware of the social consequences of counterfeiting, its harmful effects on society are still unlikely to make them stop buying counterfeit goods.
Counterfeiting not only leads to economic losses, estimated to be in the hundreds of billions of euros worldwide, but also results in job losses and the exploitation of vulnerable workers. Moreover, counterfeit products pose risks to consumer health and safety, particularly in the case of counterfeit drugs.
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The negative impact of counterfeiting extends to innovation and investment as businesses become less inclined to invest in research and development when results are not effectively protected.
Despite Belgium's efforts to combat the counterfeit goods issue, there is still a need for greater awareness and action to address the root causes of counterfeiting and its broader implications on society and the economy.
