EU sets sights on reducing excessive packaging

Seeking to reduce excessive packaging and setting specific reuse targets, the European Council issued a new regulation proposal this week, setting stricter goals on packaging waste and making it fully recyclable by 2030. 

The average EU citizen throws away 188.7 kilos of packaging waste per year, with 40% of plastic and 50% of paper in the EU going to packaging, which is now responsible for 50% of marine pollution.

An EU regulation, unlike directives, does not require national harmonization measures – i.e. it is directly applicable in all member-states. 

In a recent statement, the Association of Manufacturing and Packaging Industries said, “The current approach risks breaking up the single market by allowing member-states to introduce their own unique restrictions – an outcome that would seriously endanger supply chain and would discourage investment in much-needed technologies.”