The measures, under the title ‘European Green Deal: Putting an end to wasteful packaging, boosting reuse and recycling’, are now to go through the legislative process ahead of becoming a directive.
At the heart of the measures are plans (1) to promote reusable and refillable packaging; (2) to make all packaging recyclable by 2030 in an economically viable way and (3) to set mandatory targets for recycled plastic content in packaging.
Scrutiny of the proposals are expected by the UK government as it seeks to improve packaging recycling and work on related topics such as reuse. The proposals also include mandatory deposit return schemes for plastic bottles and cans, which is similar to the plans for a DRS scheme in England.
Announcing the Green Deal package yesterday (30 November), the European Commission said it was proposing “new EU-wide rules on packaging, to tackle this constantly growing source of waste and of consumer frustration.”
It points out that on average, each European generates almost 180 kg of packaging waste per year. “Packaging is one of the main users of virgin materials as 40% of plastics and 50% of paper used in the EU is destined for packaging. Without action, the EU would see a further 19% increase in packaging waste by 2030, and for plastic packaging waste even a 46% increase.”
Explaining the impact of the new rules, the Commission said that for consumers, they will ensure reusable packaging options, get rid of unnecessary packaging, limit overpackaging, and provide clear labels to support correct recycling.
And, for industry, it said the rules will:
- create new business opportunities, especially for smaller companies,
- decrease the need for virgin materials,
- boost Europe’s recycling capacity,
- make Europe less dependent on primary resources and external suppliers,
- put the packaging sector on track for climate neutrality by 2050.
Target
Giving more information about its plans, the Commission said that The headline target is to reduce packaging waste by 15% by 2040 per Member State per capita, compared to 2018. This would lead to an overall waste reduction in the EU of some 37% compared to a scenario without changing the legislation. It will happen through both reuse and recycling.
To foster reuse or refill of packaging, which has declined steeply in the last 20 years, the proposal says that companies will have to offer a certain percentage of their products to consumers in reusable or refillable packaging, for example takeaway drinks and meals or e-commerce deliveries. There will also be some standardisation of packaging formats and clear labelling of reusable packaging.
To address clearly unnecessary packaging, certain forms of packaging will be banned, for example single-use packaging for food and beverages when consumed inside restaurants and cafes, single-use packaging for fruits and vegetables, miniature shampoo bottles and other miniature packaging in hotels.
Deposit return
Many measures aim to make packaging fully recyclable by 2030. This includes setting design criteria for packaging; creating mandatory deposit return systems for plastic bottles and aluminium cans; and making it clear which very limited types of packaging must be compostable so that consumers can throw these to biowaste.
Useful link
European Commission packaging proposals
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