At the beginning of March, the European Commission established an agreement on the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). This means establishing common legislation in all EU countries on packaging management.
Generally speaking, the objectives of the regulation are threefold: REDUCE by limiting the production of disposable packaging, CLOSING THE LOOP by reusing packaging and RECOVERING RAW MATERIALS by recycling packaging.
Therefore, from January 1, 2030, it is intended to introduce a ban on the sale of packaging for fresh vegetables and fruit weighing less than 1.5 kg. This means that, for example, green cucumbers and broccoli individually packed in shrink-wrapped foil, plastic nets with onions or potatoes, or several pieces of peppers packed in polypropylene sleeves will disappear from stores. Plastic bags weighing less than 15 microns will also be banned.
Disposable single-portion packaging in restaurants will not be allowed, e.g. for sauces, spices and drinks. In addition, 10% of takeaway packaging will have to be reusable. The ban will also cover individually packaged disposable sets of cosmetics and toiletries in hotels. Stretch films used to wrap luggage will not be allowed at airports.
From the beginning of 2030, all packaging will have to be recyclable. This is a very clear record. We can therefore expect laminates combining various raw materials to be withdrawn from the market, which currently makes it impossible to recover the recyclate.
It seems that the EU definitely wants to get rid of plastic, especially single-use plastic. Paper packaging will be allowed. However, they must meet the recyclability condition and cannot contain the so-called "eternal chemicals". The EU agreement introduces a ban on the use of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (oil-resistant compounds, PFAS) in packaging intended for contact with food.
Compostable packaging is permitted. The Commission has not established EU prohibitions or requirements for this type of material. However, a period of three years from the entry into force of the agreement was set to consider the issue of the so-called bioplastics. We know that compostable materials are a growing branch of the packaging industry, but there is no structured legal system that would systematize the types of compostable materials and set a sustainable path for dealing with packaging intended for industrial composting.
A ban on plastic packaging for fresh vegetables and fruit is already in force in France, where SILBO supplies paper packaging for the most important brands in the industry.
The agreement also included provisions indicating the required minimum content of plastic recyclate in packaging. Reference was also made to the increasing mail order sales generating more and more waste, establishing that the maximum empty space rate in transport packaging may be 50%.
Also important is the provision that 90% of disposable plastic and metal beverage containers (with a capacity of up to 3 liters) are to be collected separately by 2029 through deposit systems.
Formal approval of the agreement is still ahead of us, but no retreat should be expected. Consistent reduction of packaging production is becoming a fact. There are concerns, especially of a marketing nature, that the lack of packaging in the fruit and vegetable industry deprives the product of the ability to mark it and stand out on the market. It is natural that every change raises objections. However, it seems that recyclable paper packaging and the opportunity for compostable packaging are only a new hand for marketers, not the end of sales. Nevertheless, the end of the plastic era has been marked, and for packaging producers it is a new challenge requiring a turn towards ecological awareness and real sustainability in production.