Big step forward for EU packaging regs

The EU is set to agree a new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) which have been welcomed by European recyclers despite concerns of a backlash from producers outside the EU.

The PPWR has been hailed by EuRIC, the umbrella recycling organisation, as a significant milestone for the European recycling industry and circular value chains. The latest move is agreement on the measures by the EU’s Coreper body, which prepares the way for full Council approval.

Protection tool

The regulation includes requirements for recycled content in new plastic packaging, a legal requirement towards which only plastic from approved sources would count. This is intended to protect European recyclers and producers from undercutting by regions with laxer pollution standards. 

In response, the China Chamber of Commerce to the EU, a business lobby group, said it found the move ‘very concerning’ and is reported as saying: ‘The EU should refrain from erecting market barriers that hinder non-EU producers.’

‘The best outcome’

EuRIC, however, called it ‘the best outcome’ given the delays caused by such trade issues. For president Olivier François, ‘Setting equivalent conditions that guarantee that imported recycled plastics meet equivalent standards to those set in the EU is vital for ensuring European industrial sovereignty and competitiveness, while delivering climate objectives and fostering a truly circular economy.’

EuRIC adds the measures not only comply with WTO rules but also ensure consistency. It argues that conditions on imports of recycled plastics used in packaging products placed on the EU market are essential, in the same way the EU also bans exports of plastic waste.
 
Some concerns remain for the recyclers. Giving member states the freedom to prioritise access to recycled plastics, a measure EuRIC has consistently opposed, risks disruption to the internal market. Instead, EuRIC argues, the focus should be on recyclability requirements and improving collection rates, as the best tools to enhance packaging circularity.