EU: Compromise reached on Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation.

An agreement has been reached, albeit provisional, between the Council and the European Parliament on the proposal for a regulation on packaging and packaging waste (PPWR). The agreement aims to drastically reduce packaging waste in the European Union by making packaging more sustainable.

According to the Regulation, packaging must be recyclable and free, or nearly free, from harmful substances. The focus is mainly on reuse and size reduction. Starting from 2030, certain single-use plastic formats will be banned, such as those for fresh fruits and vegetables, for food and beverages consumed in bars and restaurants, sachets for condiments, and toiletry products in hotels. Furthermore, deposit return systems (DRS) will be introduced for single-use plastic bottles and metal containers for beverages to ensure proper separate collection.

Italy, in favor of reuse and the ban on single-use items, has expressed some concerns about the entire body of the Regulation in terms of high social and economic costs. Nevertheless, the European intention is positive and aims to eliminate everything superfluous in a rationalization logic of the entire packaging sector.