EU: End packaging waste and boost reuse and recycling – RECYCLING magazine

On average, each European generates nearly 180 kg of packaging waste per year. Packaging is one of the main users of virgin materials, since 40% of plastics and 50% of paper used in the EU are for packaging. Without action, the EU would see a further 19% increase in packaging waste by 2030, and even a 46% increase in plastic packaging waste.

The new rules aim to stop this trend. For consumers, they will ensure reusable packaging options, eliminate unnecessary packaging, limit over-packaging and provide clear labels to promote proper recycling. For industry, they will create new business opportunities, especially for small businesses, reduce the need for virgin materials, increase Europe’s recycling capacity and make Europe less dependent on primary resources and external suppliers. They will put the packaging sector on the path to climate neutrality by 2050.

The Commission is also providing clarity for consumers and industry on bio-based, compostable and biodegradable plastics, indicating for which applications these plastics are truly beneficial to the environment and how they should be designed, disposed of and recycled.

The proposals are crucial elements of the European Green Deal’s Circular Economy Action Plan, which aims to standardize sustainable products. Moreover, they gave in to specific demands made by Europeans at the Conference on the Future of Europe.

Avoid packaging waste, promote reuse and refill, and make all packaging recyclable by 2030

The proposed revision of EU legislation on packaging and packaging waste has three main objectives. First, to prevent the generation of packaging waste: reduce its quantity, limit unnecessary packaging and promote reusable and refillable packaging solutions. Second, to stimulate high-quality (“closed-loop”) recycling: to ensure that all packaging on the EU market is recyclable in an economically viable way by 2030. And finally, to reduce the need for primary natural resources and create a well-functioning market for secondary packaging raw materials, increase the use of recycled plastics in packaging through mandatory targets.

• The main objective is to reduce packaging waste by 15% by 2040 per Member State and per inhabitant, compared to 2018. This would lead to an overall reduction of waste in the EU of around 37% compared to to a scenario without changing the legislation. This will be done through both reuse and recycling.
• To encourage the reuse or refilling of packaging, which has declined sharply over the past 20 years, companies will have to offer a certain percentage of their products to consumers in reusable or refillable packaging, for example take-out drinks and meals or e-delivery. -trade. There will also be standardization of packaging formats and clear labeling of reusable packaging.
• To combat clearly unnecessary packaging, certain forms of packaging will be banned, for example single-use packaging for food and drink when consumed in restaurants and cafes, single-use packaging for fruit and vegetables, miniature shampoo bottles and other miniature packaging in hotels. .
• Many measures aim to make packaging fully recyclable by 2030. This includes setting design criteria for packaging, creating mandatory deposit systems for plastic bottles and aluminum cans, and clarifying the types very limited packaging that must be compostable so consumers can throw it away. in biowaste.
• There will also be mandatory rates of recycled content that producers must include in new plastic packaging. This will help turn recycled plastic into a valuable raw material, as the example of PET bottles has already shown in the context of the Single Use Plastics Directive.
• The proposal will clear up any confusion about which packaging belongs in which recycling bin. Each package will have a label indicating what the package is made of and which waste stream it should go into. Waste collection containers will bear the same labels. The same symbols will be used everywhere in the EU.

By 2030, the proposed measures would reduce greenhouse gas emissions from packaging to 43 million metric tonnes, down from 66 million if the legislation is not changed – the reduction is roughly equivalent to annual emissions from Croatia. Water consumption would be reduced by 1.1 million m3. The environmental damage costs for the economy and society would be reduced by 6.4 billion euros compared to the reference scenario of 2030.

Single-use packaging industries will need to invest in a transition, but the overall impact on the economy and job creation in the EU is positive. Boosting reuse alone is expected to create more than 600,000 jobs in the reuse sector by 2030, many of them in local small and medium-sized businesses. We expect a lot of innovation in packaging solutions, making it easier to reduce, reuse and recycle. The measures are also expected to save money: every European could save nearly €100 a year, if businesses pass these savings on to consumers.

Clearing up the confusion around biobased, biodegradable and compostable plastics

The use and production of bio-based, biodegradable and compostable plastics has steadily increased. A number of conditions must be met for these plastics to have positive environmental impacts, rather than exacerbating plastic pollution, climate change and biodiversity loss.

The Commission’s new framework clarifies how these plastics can be part of a sustainable future.

The biomass used to produce biobased plastics must be of sustainable origin, without harming the environment and in compliance with the principle of “cascading use of biomass”: producers must favor the use of waste and sub- organic products as raw material. Additionally, to combat greenwashing and avoid misleading consumers, producers should avoid generic claims on plastic products such as “bioplastic” and “biobased”. When communicating about bio-based content, producers should refer to the exact and measurable share of bio-based plastic content in the product (for example: “the product contains 50% bio-based plastic content”).

Biodegradable plastics should be approached with caution. They have their place in a sustainable future, but they must be directed towards specific applications where their environmental benefits and value for the circular economy are proven. Biodegradable plastics do not have to provide a license for waste in any way. In addition, they must be labeled to indicate how long they will take to biodegrade, under what circumstances and in what environment. Products likely to be thrown away, including those covered by the Single Use Plastics Directive, cannot be claimed or labeled as biodegradable.

Industrially compostable plastics should only be used where they have environmental benefits, do not negatively affect the quality of the compost, and where an appropriate bio-waste collection and treatment system is in place. Industrially compostable packaging will only be allowed for tea bags, filter coffee pods and pods, fruit and vegetable stickers and very lightweight plastic bags. Products must always state that they are certified for industrial composting, in accordance with European standards.

Next steps

The proposal on packaging and packaging waste will now be examined by the European Parliament and the Council under the ordinary legislative procedure.

The policy framework on bio-based, biodegradable and compostable plastics will guide future EU work on this issue, for example through ecodesign requirements for sustainable products, funding schemes and international discussions. The Commission encourages citizens, public authorities and businesses to use this framework in their policy, investment and purchasing decisions.