{"id":2449,"date":"2023-01-03T09:00:45","date_gmt":"2023-01-03T08:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/7samurai.eu\/?p=2449"},"modified":"2022-12-30T14:21:09","modified_gmt":"2022-12-30T13:21:09","slug":"european-green-deal-putting-an-end-to-wasteful-packaging-boosting-reuse-and-recycling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/7samurai.eu\/en\/environmental-protection\/european-green-deal-putting-an-end-to-wasteful-packaging-boosting-reuse-and-recycling\/","title":{"rendered":"European Green Deal: Putting an end to wasteful packaging, boosting reuse and recycling"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>New packaging rules have been proposed at the EU level to tackle this constantly growing source of waste and consumer frustration. On average, each European generates almost 180 kg of packaging waste per year. Packaging is one of the main uses of virgin materials as 40% of plastics and 50% of paper used in the EU is destined for packaging. Without action, the EU would see a further 19% increase in packaging waste by 2030, and for plastic packaging waste even a 46% increase.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The new rules aim to stop this trend. For consumers, they will ensure <strong>reusable packaging options<\/strong>, <strong>get rid of unnecessary packaging<\/strong>, limit <strong>overpackaging<\/strong>, and provide <strong>clear labels<\/strong> to support correct recycling. For the industry, they will create new business opportunities, especially for smaller companies, decrease the need for virgin materials, boosting Europe&#8217;s recycling capacity as well as make Europe less dependent on primary resources and external suppliers. They will put the packaging sector on track for <strong>climate neutrality<\/strong> by 2050.<\/p>\n<p>The proposals are key building blocks of the European Green Deal&#8217;s Circular Economy Action Plan and its objective to make sustainable products the norm. They also respond to specific demands of Europeans as expressed at the Conference on the Future of Europe.<\/p>\n<p>The proposed revision of the EU legislation on Packaging and Packaging Waste has three main objectives. First, to prevent the generation of packaging waste: reduce it in quantity, <strong>restrict unnecessary packaging<\/strong> and <strong>promote reusable and refillable packaging solutions<\/strong>. Second, to boost high quality (\u2018closed loop&#8217;) recycling: make <strong>all packaging on the EU market recyclable<\/strong> in an economically viable way by 2030. And finally, to reduce the need for primary natural resources and create a well-functioning market for secondary raw materials, <strong>increasing the use of recycled plastics<\/strong> in packaging through mandatory targets.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>To foster <strong>reuse or refill<\/strong> of packaging, which has declined steeply in the last 20 years, companies will have to offer a certain percentage of their products to consumers in reusable or refillable packaging, for example, takeaway drinks and meals or e-commerce deliveries. There will also be some standardisation of packaging formats and clear <strong>labeling of reusable packaging<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>To address clearly <strong>unnecessary packaging<\/strong>, certain forms of packaging will be banned, for example, single-use packaging for food and beverages when consumed inside restaurants and cafes, single-use packaging for fruits and vegetables, miniature shampoo bottles, and other miniature packaging in hotels.<\/li>\n<li>There will also be <strong>mandatory rates of recycled content that producers have to include in new plastic packaging<\/strong>. This will help turn recycled plastic into a valuable raw material \u2013 as already shown by the example of PET bottles in the context of the Single-Use Plastics Directive.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The proposal will <strong>clear up confusion<\/strong> on which packaging belongs to which recycling bin. Every piece of packaging will carry a label showing what the packaging is made of and in which waste stream it should go. Waste collection containers will carry the same labels. The same symbols will be used everywhere in the EU.<\/p>\n<p>By 2030, the proposed measures would bring greenhouse gas emissions from packaging down to 43 million tonnes compared to 66 million if the legislation is not changed \u2013 the reduction is about as much as the annual emissions of Croatia. Water use would be reduced by <strong>1.1 million m<sup>3<\/sup><\/strong>. The costs of environmental damage for the economy and society would be reduced by \u20ac6.4 billion relative to the baseline 2030.<\/p>\n<p>Single-use packaging industries will have to invest into a transition, but the <strong>overall economic and job creation impact in the EU is positive<\/strong>. Boosting reuse alone is expected to lead to more than 600,000 jobs in the reuse sector by 2030, many of them at local small and medium sized companies. We expect much <strong>innovation in packaging solutions<\/strong> making it convenient to reduce, reuse and recycle. Measures are also expected to save money: each European could save almost \u20ac100 per year, if businesses translate savings to consumers.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Clearing up confusion around biobased, biodegradable, and compostable plastics:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The use and production of biobased, biodegradable, and compostable plastics have been steadily increasing. Several <strong>conditions have to be met for these plastics to have positive environmental impacts<\/strong>, rather than exacerbating plastic pollution, climate change, and biodiversity loss.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Biomass used to produce biobased plastics<\/strong> must be sustainably sourced, with no harm to the environment, and in respect of the \u2018cascading use of biomass&#8217; principle: producers should prioritise the use of organic waste and by-products as feedstock. In addition, to fight greenwashing and avoid misleading consumers, producers need to avoid generic claims on plastic products such as \u201cbioplastics\u201d and \u201cbiobased\u201d. When communicating on biobased content, producers should refer to the exact and measurable share of biobased plastic content in the product.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Industrially compostable plastics<\/strong> should only be used when they have environmental benefits, they do not negatively affect the quality of the compost, and when there is a proper biowaste collection and treatment system in place. Industrially compostable packaging will only be allowed for tea bags, filter coffee pods and pads, fruit and vegetable stickers, and very light plastic bags. The products must always specify that they are certified for industrial composting, in line with EU standards.<\/p>\n<p>Source: European Commission<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>New packaging rules have been proposed at the EU level to tackle this constantly growing source of waste and consumer frustration. On average, each European generates almost 180 kg of packaging waste per year. Packaging is one of the main uses of virgin materials as 40% of plastics and 50% of paper used in the 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