The European Union has officially entered an era of pushing toward the end of plastic packaging. The European Council has announced that the EU’s member states will have to adhere to a new series of rules that intends to ban single-use plastics by the end of the decade.
- The new regulations will ban single-use plastics by 2030 for certain packaging, such as specific foods, cosmetics and toiletry products.
- EU member states will have to meet goals of reducing plastic packaging waste of 5% by 2030, followed by a 10% reduction by 2035 and 15% by 2040.
“This is a clear step towards a future that reduces overall packaging and doesn’t include single-use plastic packaging,” says Elizabeth Wimbush, PPAI’s director of sustainability and responsibility. “Thankfully, promo companies shipping to or working in the EU have some runway left to make material design changes and stay ahead of compliance with the rules coming into effect in 2030.
Elizabeth Wimbush
Director of Sustainability & Responsibility, PPAI
“There are also an increasing number of options for alternatives to polybags, through clever design or biodegradable material.”
Companies in the EU will have to create packaging that is designed for material recycling by 2030, and they will be required to meet the expectation that packaging waste is collected separately into waste streams for recycling by 2035.
The regulations also will enforce a strict banning of any products that pass a threshold of PFAS or “forever chemicals” in food packaging.
A Growing Sentiment For Plastic Reduction Around the Globe
Plastic reduction in packaging is not a trend isolated to across the pond. Wasteful and overused already, plastic has found itself in the crosshairs of five U.S. states that have passed extended producer responsibility laws aimed at boosting recycling efforts.
“This is a very important topic for you to be aware of, to build into your business plans, because there could be significant financial liability,” says Rick Brenner, MAS+, president of business service member Product Safety Advisors. “The first thing you can do is check out all your packaging and see what you can do to minimize it and make it more sustainable. It’ll also save you money.”
- California, Colorado, Maine, Minnesota and Oregon have all enacted EPR laws.
- More than a dozen other states have introduced similar legislation.
- While EPR has been discussed at the federal level, no bills have been put forward yet.
Earlier this month, PPAI Media spoke with Geoffrey Inch, senior vice president of producer services with Circular Action Alliance, currently the only active producer responsibility organization for packaging in the U.S., and he said that CAA can assist companies that may need help with parsing through the definitions of what needs requirements need to be met.
“If you have any clarifying questions, you need to reach out to us,” says Inch. “We can point you in the right direction and try to give you more information to help make those determinations.”
Up north, Canada has no federal EPR laws, like the U.S. But the Canadian government has launched the Federal Plastics Registry, a nationwide initiative to collect data to help monitor and track plastics through their cycle. Canada also has a plan to move toward the goal of zero plastic waste by 2030.
- Plastics producers will be obligated to report the quantities of plastic they place on the Canadian market each year, as well as specify the source of the resins used (i.e., recycled or virgin petroleum).
