EU Proposal for a Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation
Governmental Agency: European Commission
Jurisdiction: European Union
Ref no: 2022/0396(COD)
Status: IN REVIEW
A Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive was first introduced in 1994. This has gone through a number of iterations, supported by other legislative changes such as the implementation of the Waste Framework Directive and Single-Use Plastics Directive.
The current aims of the Directive are to harmonise national measures on packaging and the management of packaging waste. The most recent adopted revision includes measures to prevent the production of packaging waste, and promote the reuse, recycling and other forms of recovering of packaging waste. By 2024, EU countries are required to establish extended producer responsibility schemes for all packaging, as well as meet specific recycling targets.
In November 2022, the Commission published its proposal for revision of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive, in favour of a Regulation. The proposed Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) aims to prevent the generation of packaging waste, reducing it in quantity, and promoting reuse and refill, ensuring that all packaging on the EU market will be recyclable in an economically viable way by 2030, and increase the use of recycled plastics in packaging.
The key measures of potential relevance to businesses in the textile sector include:
- Targets for packaging waste reduction at Member State level - potential for Member States to set reduction requirements for types of packaging
- Mandatory reuse targets - if textile packaging formats are included
- Restricting over-packaging and certain forms of unnecessary packaging - dependent on what is defined by "over" and "unnecessary" packaging for textile products
- Establishing criteria for design for recycling & minimum recycled content quantities to be applied to all packaging - May change the format and thus cost of packaging bought by textile businesses
In October 2023, the EU Parliament's Committee voted to adopt a number of proposed amendments to the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). On 22 November 2023, MEP's approved the report - which included the following proposed amendments relevant for the textiles sector:
- Set specific targets on plastic packaging reduction
- A ban the sale of very lightweight plastic carrier bags
- Allowing specific packages to be exempt from reuse targets where recycling rates of that packaging are over 85%.
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"The various iterations of the Packaging and Packaging Waste legislative documents have both direct and indirect impacts of textile businesses.
Under the legislation, there are increasing requirements placed on businesses purchasing and using packaging. Large quantities of packaging is used by textiles sector. Therefore, the potential for reuse targets and reductions in unnecessary packaging could result in direct impacts on how textiles businesses use packaging.
There are equally potential indirect impacts that could have consequences. For example, recycled content may result in increased costs - as more businesses will be required to source recycled content (which can come at a premium to virgin materials)."
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On March 4, 2024, the Council and the European Parliament reached a provisional agreement on the proposal which now must be formally adopted by both institutions.