The European Union’s (EU) Environment Ministers have agreed on a proposed regulation aimed at tackling the rise in packaging waste generated within the bloc. The regulation seeks to harmonize the internal market for packaging, promote a circular economy, and ensure that all packaging is safe and sustainable. It also requires that packaging is recyclable and minimizes the presence of hazardous substances.
The ministers agreed to set binding targets for reusable packaging, restrict certain types of single-use packaging, and require economic operators to reduce packaging to the necessary minimum. This aligns with the waste hierarchy, which prioritizes minimizing packaging waste generation.
Teresa Ribera Rodríguez, Spain’s third vice-president of the government and minister for ecological transition and demographic challenge, stated that in 2021, each European generated 190 kilograms of packaging waste, a figure that is expected to increase by nearly 20% by 2030 if no action is taken. “Today’s general approach gives a strong message that the EU is committed to reducing and preventing packaging waste from all sources. This regulation is crucial in our path to a circular economy and a climate-neutral Europe,” she said.
Last week, Smurfit Kappa and print and paper advocacy association Two Sides expressed their support for the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). Jonathan Tame, managing director of Two Sides, noted that most used cardboard boxes in the retail supply chain do not enter the waste stream as they are collected from supermarkets and returned to paper mills within two weeks before being remanufactured into new packaging.
Saverio Mayer, chief executive, Smurfit Kappa Europe, said: “The cardboard industry is a frontrunner in delivering Europe’s green transition with a product that is 100% recyclable, renewable and biodegradable.”
