Which objective(s) does the Commission pursue?

The overarching objective of the legislative proposal (COM(2022) 677) is to reduce the negative environmental impacts of packaging and packaging waste, while improving the functioning of the internal market. More specifically the proposal aims: (i) to reduce the generation of packaging waste; (ii) to promote a circular economy for packaging in a cost-effective manner; and (iii) to promote the use of recycled content in packaging. The key elements of the proposals are:

• A headline target to reduce packaging waste by 15% by 2040 per Member State per capita, compared to 2018. This would lead to an overall waste reduction in the EU of some 37%.

• To foster reuse or refill of packaging. Companies will have to offer a certain percentage of their products to consumers in reusable or refillable packaging complemented by some standardisation of packaging formats and clear labelling of reusable packaging.

• Some clearly unnecessary 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.  

• Many measures aim to make packaging fully recyclable by 2030. This includes setting design criteria for packaging; creating mandatory deposit return systems for plastic bottles and aluminium cans; and making it clear which very limited types of packaging must be compostable so that consumers can throw these to biowaste.

• There will also be mandatory rates of recycled content that producers have to include in new plastic packaging. 

• 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.

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 – the reduction is about as much as the annual emissions of Croatia. Water use would be reduced by 1.1 million m³. The costs of environmental damage for the economy and society would be reduced by €6.4 billion relative to the baseline 2030.

The preferred option in the impact assessment accompanying the proposal includes a number of simplification elements:

• Reduced burden for Member States as the harmonised framework for packaging and its waste streams will simplify several procedures, for example the reporting of the transposition of the provisions in the Directive and the respective follow up work in the Commission.

• Savings in waste management costs for operators due to the proposed mandatory target of packaging waste reduction and the better waste sorting.

• In the context of recyclability, a clear definition of recyclable packaging based on Design for Recycling criteria will contribute to streamlining procedures.

• Harmonised collection of data on hazardous waste on packaging and integration of minimum criteria for packaging of priority products under mandatory green public procurement should facilitate a coherent approach among Member States.

• The Extended producer responsibility (EPR) reporting system for packaging producers will be harmonise. Governance frameworks for monitoring, reporting and enforcing systems will need to be established at Member States for efficient implementation and enforcement.

The proposal makes full use of digitalisation to reduce administrative burden. For example, it is envisaged that the Commission would adopt an implementing act to establish the conditions for identifying the material composition of packaging by means of digital marking technologies. It is also recommended that reusable packaging would have QR codes or equivalent means to facilitate their recovery and harmonised specific labels that properly inform consumers about packaging reusability, the availability of re-use systems.