The European Regulation on Packaging and Packaging Waste
A step towards more sustainability
Oct 2023. The Draft of the European Commission for the Regulation on Packaging and Packaging Waste[1] pursues ambitious goals to minimise the environmental impact of packaging and to promote the circular economy. The Commission President has announced that she wants to adopt the draft regulation before the new European Parliament elections in summer 2024. We have summarised the key objectives of the draft for you.
The need for sustainable packaging
Packaging is omnipresent in our modern lives. It protects products, facilitates transport and storage and is used to communicate product information. However, the production and disposal of packaging generates significant amounts of waste.
Since many years, the total amount of packaging waste in the EU has been steadily increasing. Without intervention, packaging waste would continue to increase by 19% by 2030, and by as much as 46% for plastic packaging waste[2]. Thus, the draft of the European Regulation on Packaging and Packaging Waste is an important measure for the protection of the environment and the promotion of sustainable practices.
The goals of the European Regulation on Packaging and Packaging Waste
- Improving recyclability: By 2030 at the latest, all packaging on the market should be at least 70% recyclable.
- Increase the use of recycled plastics: The regulation sets fixed quantities of recycled plastics to be used in certain applications. For example, 30% recycled plastics are to be used in the production of disposable beverage bottles by 2030 and 65% by 2040.
- Promotion of compostable packaging: As early as two years after publication, certain packaging such as labels stuck directly on fruit and vegetables must be compostable.
- Prohibiting certain types of packaging: Certain packaging designs, such as nets and bags that hold less than 1.5 kg of fruit or vegetables, or disposable portion bags for mustard and ketchup in the catering industry, for example, will be completely prohibited.
- Quotas for reusable packaging: By 2030, among other things, 20% of all beverages at the point of sale are to be sold in reusable containers. By 2040, this share is to increase to 80%. Ambitious quotas for the use of refillable packaging are also set for other types of packaging.
Furthermore, the EU is aiming for an overall EU-wide reduction in packaging waste of 5% by 2030, 10% by 2035 and 15% by 2040 compared to 2018.
Contact us
Do you have questions about the European Regulation on Packaging and Packaging Waste or do you need support in creating a strategy to implement the targets planned by the EU Commission in your company? Feel free to contact your personal account manager or contact our expert Andreas Grabitz directly.
References
[1] European Commission (2022): Proposal for a revision of EU legislation on Packaging and Packaging Waste
[2] European Commission (2022): Europäischer Grüner Deal: Verpackungsmüll reduzieren und CO2-Entnahmen zertifizieren (in German)
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