UE “Proposal for a revision of EU Legislation on packaging and packaging waste”
On 30 November 2022, the EU Commission adopted the proposal for a Regulation on Packaging and Packaging Waste amending Regulation 2019/1020/EU on market surveillance and product conformity and Directive 2019/904/EU on reducing the impact of certain plastic products on the environment, and repealing Directive 94/62/EC on Packaging and Packaging Waste.
The proposal identifies the main problems to be solved with regard to packaging and packaging waste, namely:
- constant increase in the generation of packaging waste (without action, the EU would see a further 19% increase in packaging waste by 2030, and for plastic packaging waste even a 46% increase)
- barriers to recycling and use of packaging
- low quality recycling of plastic packaging and use of secondary raw materials
Strategy chosen by the EU Commission:
- set mandatory targets for waste reduction, reuse and recycled content in plastic packaging
- promote requirements to ensure full recyclability of packaging by 2030
- propose harmonisation of product standards
The proposal also identifies expected impacts in 2030:
- reduction in waste generation of 18 million tonnes compared to baseline (no action) and 3.1 million tonnes compared to 2018
- reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of about 23 MtCO2eq
- monetised environmental externalities reduced by EUR 6.4 billion compared to baseline projections
Some possible consequences of the implementation of the Regulation:
- standardisation of certain packaging formats and design criteria
- ban on the use of single-use and miniature packaging
- mandatory recycled product rates in new plastic packaging
- creation of mandatory return systems for plastic bottles and aluminium cans
Read more at the following link.