The deposit return system introduced in Europe with the new Regulation
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The newly enacted EU packaging regulation defines specific and impactful objectives aimed at significantly reducing the environmental impact of packaging waste. Key goals include preventing the generation of excess packaging by reducing its volume, encouraging the adoption of reuse and refill practices to enhance the life cycle of packaging materials, ensuring that all packaging becomes recyclable by 2030 through cost-effective methods, and promoting the use of recycled plastics. These initiatives are designed to create a sustainable closed-loop system, thereby decreasing reliance on virgin materials and fostering a more environmentally responsible approach to packaging across the European Union.
By eEuropa Blog
Brussels, 26 April 2024 – 4 MINUTES READ
On November 30, 2022, the European Commission put forward a Proposal for a Regulation COM(2022) 677 final to overhaul the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive, signaling a pivotal shift towards sustainability in line with the European Green Deal and the new circular economy action plan. This proposal set a lofty yet crucial goal: to ensure that by 2030, all packaging on the EU market is either reusable or recyclable in an economically viable manner. This ambition is further underscored by the 2018 Plastics Strategy’s objective to achieve the reuse or recycling of all plastics packaging by the same year.
After intense negotiations and deliberations, a provisional political agreement was reached on March 4, 2024, between the Council presidency and the European Parliament’s representatives. This was a significant milestone that led to the formal adoption of the new Regulation by the European Parliament on April 24, 2024, and subsequently by the Council.
The newly adopted Regulation sets clear and actionable goals aimed at curtailing the environmental impact of packaging waste.
- Preventing the generation of packaging waste by reducing its overall quantity.
- Promoting the reuse and refill of packaging materials to extend their lifecycle.
- Ensuring all packaging is recyclable by 2030 through economically viable methods.
- Increasing the use of recycled plastics in new packaging, thereby fostering a closed-loop recycling system and reducing the reliance on virgin materials.
Key Measures Introduced
To achieve these objectives, the Regulation introduces several robust measures:
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