There has been a significant increase in the amount of packaging waste in the European Union in recent years, and this trend is expected to continue if no action is taken. In response to this problem, additional measures have been proposed to promote the circular economy and empower consumers in the transition to more sustainable practices.
These measures are in addition to other initiatives already implemented, such as the Ecodesign of Sustainable Products Regulation and the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles. The aim is to promote the adoption of more sustainable products and ensure a more active role for consumers in the transition to more environmentally friendly practices.
In this context, on 30 November 2022, the European Commission proposed new EU-wide packaging rules to address this growing source of waste.
Each European generates on average almost 180 kg of packaging waste per year, and packaging is a major consumer of virgin materials. If no action is taken, packaging waste is expected to increase another 19 % by 2030.
These new rules aim to provide consumers with reusable packaging options, limit unnecessary packaging and ensure a clear label that supports proper recycling. For industry, they will create business opportunities, reduce the need for virgin materials, increase recycling capacity in Europe and reduce dependence on primary resources.
The standards will also clarify the use of biological, biodegradable and compostable plastics, defining in which applications they are environmentally beneficial and how they should be designed, disposed of and recycled.
These proposals are part of the European Green Deal Circular Economy Action Plan and respond to the demands expressed by Europeans at the Conference on the Future of Europe. The headline targets include preventing packaging waste, boosting reuse and recycling, and making all packaging recyclable by 2030.
These measures are expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 43 million tonnes by 2030 and generate more than 600,000 jobs in the reuse sector. In addition, the use and labelling of bio, biodegradable and compostable plastics will be clarified, and strict criteria for their production and use will be established.