EU must ‘step up’ efforts to meet packaging waste goals

A report released today (20 March 2025) from the alliance offers suggestions for how national and local governments can make the most of the EU’s new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). 

Larissa Copello, packaging and reuse policy officer at Zero Waste Europe which is part of the alliance, said: “Waste is one of the biggest environmental crises of our time, driven by our wasteful, linear economy.  

“While the EU’s PPWR puts forward necessary measures to address single-use packaging, its success depends on strong national implementation. Member states must adopt additional rules to accelerate the shift towards reusable packaging systems – not as an option, but as a necessity for a sustainable, circular economy.” 

Alongside the Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUPD), the report outlined ways that member states can use the PPRW to implement and “raise the ambition” of packaging reduction rules, including: 

• Set higher and broader reuse targets for the sectors included in the PPWR, as well as targets for additional packaging sectors, such as binding reuse targets for the takeaway sector. 

• Set fiscal or economic incentives to support the transition from single-use to reusable packaging systems, such as environmental taxes on economic operators, consumer-facing levies, and ring-fencing the funds to support reuse and waste prevention measures. 

• Enhance Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), by including litter clean-up costs in the EPR fees for all single-use packaging types and earmarking a percentage, e.g. at least 10%, of the EPR fees to supporting waste prevention activities, including reuse packaging systems. 

• Introduce a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) as soon as possible: the PPWR mandates a separate collection level of 90% for plastic bottles and metal cans. Only a DRS can achieve this target. 

• Invest in identifying substances of concern that negatively affect reuse and recycling of packaging materials and pose risks to human health and the environment. 

The Rethink Plastic alliance 

The Rethink Plastic alliance includes Break Free From Plastic, Zero Waste Europe, ClientEarth (Europe), Environmental Coalition on Standards (ECOS), Fair Resource Foundation and the European Environmental Bureau (EEB). 

Mathias Falkenberg, programme manager at ECOS, said: “The PPWR is introducing obligations for reusable packaging, a step forward compared to the law it is replacing, which had none. But each negotiation weakened the text, leaving us without bold leadership on reuse and refill. Local and national governments could fill this void.  

“The report we’ve published today shows how our leaders can push back against the scourge of single-use and finally solve the EU’s packaging waste crisis – but they’ve got to want it.” 

Tatiana Luján, resources system lead lawyer at ClientEarth (Europe), added: “Under the new law, Member States now have legal obligations to prevent packaging waste. This means that in order to achieve this goal, they are required to move away from single-use materials. One surefire way for Member States to abide by their legal requirements is to implement reuse schemes and obligations at national level.”