The ban on PFAS in food packaging is at the heart of the new legislation.
After more than a year of intense negotiations, the European Parliament, the Council and the European Commission have reached a historic agreement on the Regulation on packaging and packaging waste. The result of more than 8 hours of intense discussions marks a turning point in European environmental policy in favour of the circular economy (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle).According to the latest Eurostat report, the mountain of packaging waste in the European Union reached 84 million tonnes in 2021, and the European average rose in one year by 10.8 kilograms to 188.7 kilograms of packaging waste per inhabitant. With an annual turnover of around 350 billion euros, the adoption of common rules for all economic operators is essential, as is the alignment of environmental criteria for packaging waste management across all 27 member states.
For Frédérique Ries, rapporteur of the text: “This is clearly a historic agreement. For the first time in environmental law, Europe is setting targets for reducing packaging consumption, regardless of the material used (plastic, wood, ferrous metals, aluminium, glass, paper and cardboard). We are asking for efforts from all industrial sectors, as well as from member states, but we also wanted consumers to play a role in this fight against overpackaging.”
The liberal MEP stressed the health aspect: “We have sent a strong signal in favour of a more virtuous European packaging market that respects food safety. That is why the ban on the persistent chemicals PFAS is a great victory for the health of European consumers”.
And she finally added: “It was also essential that environmental ambitions meet industrial reality. This has been achieved with an agreement that promotes innovation, postpones by 5 years the restriction measures for certain packaging formats, particularly for fresh fruit and vegetables, and above all provides for a number of exemptions for micro-enterprises”.
The main points of the agreement are as follows
- Ban on PFAS in packaging intended to come into contact with foodstuffs by 2026.
- Targets for reducing packaging waste, common to all materials: 5% by 2030, 10% by 2035 and 15% by 2040.
- Mandatory recyclability of packaging by 2030: recognising the need to transition to a circular economy, all packaging within the European Union will have to be recyclable by 2030, promoting a more sustainable approach to resource management.
- Ban on single-use plastics in the hospitality sector by 2030: given the proliferation of single-use plastics and their harmful effects on ecosystems, the regulation provides for the ban on single-use plastics in cafés and restaurants for retail sales by 2030, in order to promote the adoption of reusable alternatives.
- Removal of reuse and refill targets for take-away food products (take-away), and an obligation on hospitality operators to allow consumers to bring their own container to be filled;
- Introduction of a maximum empty space rate of 50% for packaging: in order to optimise packaging efficiency and minimise waste, a maximum empty space rate of 50% is established, ensuring that packaging is appropriately sized and proportional to its contents.
- By the end of 2027, the Commission will have to assess the proposal for targets and sustainability criteria for bio-based plastic, as a key resource for moving away from oil dependency.