Europe has a packaging waste problem. The European Commission warns that total packaging waste across the bloc will increase 19 percent by 2030.
In November 2022, the Commission published a plan to reverse this trend with new EU-wide rules for packaging and packaging waste. The proposals form a central pillar of the European Green Deal’s so-called Circular Economy Action Plan to make products sustainable.
Stakeholders have given the packaging waste plan a mixed reception, with industry groups raising concerns about added costs, the burden of further regulation, and risks to food safety. Environmental groups have welcomed the package as a step in the right direction, though some fear the new rules have been watered down and do not go far enough.
This Dods Political Intelligence report sets out the Commission’s key proposals and a range of stakeholder reactions.