EU pledges sustainable future with packaging reform

March 6, 2024

EU’s provisional deal aims to drastically cut packaging waste, promoting a circular economy and sustainable packaging practices.

The European Union has made a provisional agreement between the Council and the European Parliament towards sustainability and waste reduction. The new regulation on packaging and packaging waste focuses on creating a circular economy by reducing the volume of packaging waste and enhancing the sustainability of packaging used within the EU.

The proposal covers the entire lifecycle of packaging materials and mandates that all packaging must be recyclable and minimise the presence of harmful substances. Additionally, the agreement introduces strict labelling requirements to better inform consumers and sets binding reuse targets to encourage the reduction of single-use packaging. Economic operators are also required to reduce the packaging they use.

Key elements of the agreement include the prohibition of certain per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs) in food contact packaging and the setting of ambitious recycled content targets for plastic packaging by 2030 and 2040. Furthermore, the regulation mandates a maximum empty space ratio to minimise packaging waste and introduces binding re-use targets alongside refill obligations for take away businesses.

This provisional deal awaits formal adoption as part of the EU’s greener future commitments.