The European Council on 16 December 2024 formally adopted a Regulation on packaging and packaging waste.The new rules will significantly reduce the generation of packaging waste by setting binding reuse targets, limiting the use of certain types of single-use packaging and requiring economic operators to minimise the packaging used.
The regulation covers the entire life cycle of packaging.
Safe, sustainable and recyclable packaging
The new regulations include, among other things, the following requirements for packaging:- 2030 and 2040 targets for a minimum percentage of recycled content (up to 65% for single-use plastic bottles by 2040)
- minimize the weight and volume of packaging and avoid unnecessary packaging
- minimise substances of concern , including by restricting the placing on the market of food contact packaging containing perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in quantities above certain thresholds
Single-use plastic packaging
The new rules introduce restrictions for single-use plastic packaging covering:- pre-packaged fruit and vegetable products weighing less than 1.5 kg
- Food and beverages filled and consumed in hotels, bars and restaurants
- individual portions of condiments, sauces, creams and sugar in hotels, bars and restaurants
- small disposable cosmetic and personal hygiene products used in the hospitality sector (e.g. shampoo or body lotion bottles)
- ultra-light plastic bags (for example those offered at markets for loose food products)
Reuse targets and refill obligations
The regulation sets new binding reuse targets for 2030 and indicative targets for 2040 .Targets vary depending on the type of packaging used by operators (e.g. binding targets of 40% for transport and sales packaging and 10% for multiple packaging).
Under the new rules, businesses selling takeaway products will have to offer customers the option of bringing their own containers to fill with cold or hot drinks or ready-to-eat foods, at no additional cost.
Next steps
Formal adoption by the Council constitutes the final stage of the ordinary legislative procedure.The regulation will now be published in the Official Journal of the EU and will enter into force.
It will apply 18 months after the date of entry into force.
General information
Although recycling rates have increased in the EU, the amount of waste generated from packaging is growing faster than the amount recycled.In 2022, the EU generated almost 186.5 kilograms of packaging waste per capita , of which 36 kilograms were plastic packaging. This means that every day in the EU we produce half a kilogram of packaging waste per capita.
The current EU Directive on Packaging and Packaging Waste, first adopted in 1994 and revised several times, sets out rules to prevent and manage packaging waste in all EU Member States. However, several evaluations of the Directive have shown that it has failed to reduce the negative environmental impact of packaging.
In this context, in November 2022 the Commission presented a proposal for a Regulation on Packaging and Packaging Waste to replace the existing Directive and update the current framework for packaging and packaging waste throughout its life cycle, in order to move towards a circular economy and a climate-neutral Europe.
The European Parliament and the Council adopted their positions on the proposed regulation in November and December 2023 respectively. The two co-legislators reached a provisional agreement on 4 March 2024, after two rounds of informal negotiations. (Source: https://www.consilium.europa.eu/ )