One Step Closer for packaging recycling in the EU

News from the European Commission is that the European Parliament and Council presidency last month came to a provisional agreement on the Packaging & Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) proposal.

The deal is yet to be approved but once it is, and has been formally adopted, the new regulations will come into force 18 month after details have been formally published in the EU’s Official Journal.

So, what does this mean for those providing packaging for goods in the EU.

The goal of PPWR is to reduce packaging waste through recycling and reuse, as well as improving consistency of packaging across the internal market whilst boosting the circular economy. The EU plans to achieve this goal by making it mandatory for all packaging placed in the EU market to be fully recyclable by 2030.

The proposal considers the whole lifecycle of packaging. It establishes requirements to ensure that packaging is safe and sustainable, by requiring that all packaging is recyclable and that the presence of substances of concern is minimised. It also lays down labelling consistency requirements to improve consumer information.

In line with the waste hierarchy, the proposal aims to significantly reduce the generation of packaging waste by setting binding re-use targets, restricting certain types of single-use packaging and requiring economic operators to minimise the packaging used.

The PPWR defines packaging waste by composition which includes glass, paper and cardboard, metals, wood, and plastic. Within these categories, the PPWR defines sub-categories, and each category and sub-category has target dates for when the packaging must adhere to the PPWR standards.

The new agreement retains most of the conditions from the original PPWR proposal in 2022, with some modifications and some new exemptions.

Key Updates and Changes

Recyclability, recycling, and recycled content

All packaging must be recyclable. The PPWR proposes to measure the recyclability of packaging using a grading system and packaging will need to be at least 70% recyclable by weight.

It has been agreed to exempt compostable plastic packaging and packaging whose plastic component represents less than 5% of the packaging’s total weight from those targets.

The agreement keeps the national recycling target requirements for each material. These targets will be measured by the weight of packaging placed on the market compared to the weight of recycled materials.

Reuse and refill targets

The council and the parliament agreed to set a 10% goal for reusable packaging for alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. They also included some conditions that could grant countries more time to meet this goal.

Additionally, by 2030, establishments that sell takeaway food and drinks will have to allow customers to bring their own containers, as well as offer 10% of their products in reusable packaging.

Substances of concern and PFAS

The provisional agreement upholds the obligation to limit and control the use of substances of concern in packaging. It also keeps the ban on the use of food contact packaging containing per and polyfluorinated alkyl substances, PFAS, which the parliament adopted last November.

Deposit return schemes (DRS)

Member states must ensure the separate collection of at least 90% per annum of single-use plastic bottles and metal beverage containers by 2029. To achieve that target, they are required to set up deposit return systems (DRSs) for those packaging formats. The minimum requirements for DRS will not apply to systems already in place before the regulation comes into force, if the systems in question achieve the 90% target by 2029.

Restrictions on certain packaging formats

This latest agreement brings back limits on certain packaging formats. These include single-use plastic packaging for unprocessed fruit and vegetables and, in the hospitality sector, packaging for food and drinks that are filled and consumed on the premises, individually packed condiments and sauces, and small toiletry products. The limits on these packaging formats will start from 2030.

The legislation will help push the EU towards new packaging reduction targets, with the aim of a 5% reduction in weight by 2030, increasing to 15% by 2040.

For further details: https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2024/03/04/packaging-council-and-parliament-strike-a-deal-to-make-packaging-more-sustainable-and-reduce-packaging-waste-in-the-eu/

Sources: Council of the EU