For the industry, the new proposal will generate new business opportunities, minimise the need for virgin materials, boost Europe's recycling capacity as well as make Europe less dependent on primary resources and external suppliers
The proposal will now be considered by the European Parliament and the Council, in the ordinary legislative procedure. (Credit: European Union)
The European Commission has proposed new European Union (EU)-wide rules for packaging waste and proposed new plans to boost reuse and recycling.
According to the EC, the new rules will ensure reusable packaging alternatives, remove unnecessary packaging, limit overpackaging, and offer clear labels to support correct recycling.
For the industry, the new proposal will generate new business opportunities, minimise the need for virgin materials, boost Europe’s recycling capacity as well as make Europe less dependent on primary resources and external suppliers.
The European Commission also clarifies for consumers and businesses how to use, dispose of, and recycle biobased, compostable, and biodegradable plastics by outlining sustainable applications of these plastics.
The proposals are key elements of the Circular Economy Action Plan of the European Green Deal, which aims to standardise sustainable products.
EC said that there are three main goals for the proposed amendment of the EU regulation on packaging and packaging waste.
To start, limit superfluous packaging, encourage recyclable and refillable packaging options, and reduce the amount of waste produced by packaging.
Second, all packaging sold in the EU must be recyclable in a way that is profitable by 2030 in order to promote high-quality (or closed-loop) recycling.
And finally, boosting the use of recycled plastics in packaging through obligatory targets will help to reduce the demand for primary natural resources and develop a robust market for secondary raw materials, the Commission added.
EC intends to clear the confusion on which packaging belongs to which recycling bin also through this proposal. Every packaging will have a label that details the material and the waste stream it should be disposed of in. The same labels will be on all waste collection containers.
Additionally, the Commission’s new framework also clarifies in what way these plastics can be part of a sustainable future.
European Green Deal EVP Frans Timmermans said: “After tackling single-use plastics, we now take the next step on our way to a future without pollution. Our proposals today reduce packaging waste, promote reuse and refill, increase the use of recycled plastics, and make it easier to recycle packaging.
“European citizens are eager to be rid of overpackaging and unnecessarily bulky packages, and businesses are ready to move forward with sustainable, innovative packaging solutions and systems.”