PRELIMINARY AGREEMENT ON EUROPEAN PACKAGING FOR THE WASTE REDUCTION

AN AGREEMENT TO PROMOTE THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY IN PACKAGING

Representatives of the European Parliament, the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union and the Commission reached a preliminary agreement in Brussels on the draft regulation of packaging and related waste.

The main objective of this regulation – which requires formal adoption by the EU to come into force – is to combat the increase in waste resulting from packaging within the European Union, promoting the circular economy.

At the basis of this approach is the reuse and recycling of packaging in order to reintroduce it onto the market after its initial use, rather than relegating it to waste, and guaranteeing harmonization of the internal market for packaging in the sector.

Among those who have expressed doubts about the agreement is also the Italian government, which would have liked to obtain exemptions from some objectives for the reuse of packaging and for the abolition of some bans on single-use plastic packaging.

WHAT THE AGREEMENT PROVIDES

The proposed regulation requires that all packaging be made with recyclable materials and that the presence of substances harmful to health and the environment is reduced to a minimum. Furthermore, it introduces labeling standardization rules to improve consumer information.

In accordance with the principle of the waste “hierarchy”, enshrined in European Union legislation since 2008, the new provisions aim to drastically reduce waste generation in the packaging sector. This means that economic operators must minimize the use of packaging by establishing binding targets for reuse and limiting the use of single-use packaging, especially plastic ones. Furthermore, the maintenance of minimum recycling objectives is confirmed, thus maintaining continuity with the policies adopted in the past.

The text of the preliminary agreement maintains most of the sustainability requirements for all packaging entering the market, along with other targets outlined by the Commission.

The global objectives for reducing packaging placed on the market persist: 5% by 2030, 10% by 2035 and 15% by 2040, with special attention to reducing waste resulting from plastic packaging.

Furthermore, a restriction has been introduced regarding packaging intended for contact with food containing the so-called PFAS (around 4,700 substances defined as ‘eternal pollutants’). The Commission was tasked with assessing the need to amend this restriction within four years of the entry into force of the Regulation.

The agreed text establishes new binding objectives for the reuse of packaging by 2030 and indicative objectives by 2040 which vary based on the type of packaging used by operators. By 2030, for example, the reuse of at least 10% of packaging for alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages is required (excluding some specific categories), while other reuse goals are defined for packaging intended for transport and sale and for packaging grouped. Cardboard packaging, in general, is exempt from these reuse obligations.