AEIDL has helped to the produce the Factsheet on Packaging and Biobased Plastics. On the 30th November the Commission adopted new EU-wide rules on packaging, to tackle this growing source of waste. On average, each European generates almost 180 kg of packaging waste per year. The new rules aim to stop this trend.
The proposed revision of the EU legislation on Packaging and Packaging Waste has three main objectives:
- to reduce the generation of packaging waste in quantity, restrict unnecessary packaging and promote reusable and refillable packaging solutions,
- to boost high quality (‘closed loop’) recycling, making all packaging on the EU market recyclable in an economically viable way by 2030, and
- to reduce the need for primary natural resources and create a well-functioning market for secondary raw materials, increasing the use of recycled plastics in packaging through mandatory targets.
These rules are important for consumers and industry. Consumers will now be guaranteed reusable packaging options, they will have less unnecessary packaging, and will be provided with clear labels for correct recycling. Industries, on the other hand, will see an increase in their business opportunities and decrease their dependency on virgin raw materials, boosting Europe’s recycling capacity as well as making Europe less dependent on primary resources and external suppliers.
There are also rules on biobased, compostable and biodegradable plastics that indicate for which applications they are truly environmentally beneficial and how they should be designed, disposed of and recycled.