Lawmakers in the European Parliament and Council announced that they have reached a provisional agreement on new series of sustainable packaging rules aimed at addressing growing packaging waste in the EU, and boosting the circular economy, including a goal for all packaging to be fully recyclable by 2030.

The agreement follows a proposal by the European Commission in November 2022 to update the EU’s regulation on packaging and packaging waste. At the time, the Commission had noted that packaging waste had already reached 180 kg per person per year in Europe, and without action, this was set to grow to by a further 19% by 2030, with plastic packaging waste increasing by 46%.

Packaging accounts for 40% of plastics and 50% of paper used in the EU.

The new agreement includes packaging reduction targets for member states, reaching 5% by 2030, 10% by 2035 and 15% by 2040 through re-use and recycling, and mandates the reduction in the amount of plastic waste.

The new regulation would also introduce a ban on some single use plastic packaging formats, including packaging for unprocessed fresh fruit and vegetables and for foods and beverages in cafés and restaurants, among some others, as well as setting targets for reusable packaging for sectors including alcoholic and non‑alcoholic beverages and transport and sales packaging.

Additional re-use and recycling targets under the new law would include a requirement for member states to ensure the separate collection of at least 90% of single-use plastic bottles and metal beverage containers through the set-up of deposit return systems, obligations for food take-away businesses to offer customers the option to bring their own containers to be filled with beverages or ready-prepared food at no extra charge, and for food take-away businesses to endeavor to offer 10% of products in a reusable packaging format by 2030.

Key updates to the agreed text from the Commission’s initial proposal included slight easing to the minimum recycled content in plastic packaging rules by exempting compostable plastic packaging and packaging whose plastic component represents less than 5% of the packaging’s total weight, as well as the introduction of a ban on the use of PFAS – or “forever chemicals” – in food contact packaging.

With the provisional agreement reached, the legislation will be required to be formally approved by the Council and Parliament before entering into force.

Following the agreement, Parliament’s Rapporteur Frédérique Ries said:

“For the first time in an environmental law, the EU is setting targets to reduce packaging consumption, regardless of the material used. We call on all industrial sectors, EU countries and consumers to play their part in the fight against excess packaging.”