On April 24, the European Parliament passed the ' Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation ( PPWR ) '. The provision was passed by 476 votes in favor, 129 votes against and 24 abstentions.
The regulation specifies the goal of packaging reduction : 5 % by 2030, 10 % by 2035, and 15 % by 2040. EU countries are also required to pay attention to, in particular, reducing the amount of plastic packaging waste. The regulation aims to address the growing waste of resources, coordinate EU internal market rules and promote a circular economy, which will make packaging more sustainable and reduce packaging waste. These measures cover the entire life cycle of packaging.
At present, each European produces nearly 190 kg of packaging waste per year. In order to reduce unnecessary packaging, the regulation sets a maximum 50 % void ratio for grouping, transportation and e-commerce packaging, and manufacturers and importers must also ensure that the weight and volume of the packaging are minimized.
Certain types of single-use plastic packaging and ' fluorinated compounds ' ( PFAS ) will be banned from January 1, 2030
Recyclable packaging, better waste recovery and recycling
According to the new PPWR regulations, all packaging ( except light wood, cork, textiles, rubber, ceramics, ceramics and wax ) must be recyclable according to strict standards.
The measure also includes the minimum recycling content target of plastic packaging and the minimum recycling target of packaging waste weight. By 2029, 90 % of single-use plastic and metal beverage containers ( up to 3 liters ) will have to be collected separately, through margin-recovery systems or other solutions, to ensure that recycling targets are met.
Next step
The regulation will come into effect after it is approved by the European Council at the end of this summer.
