Packaging / Advertising & Office

The European Commission hopes to reduce the environmental impact of packaging by forcing manufacturers to use a minimum amount of recycled plastic in new packaging put on the market, Watson & Band Import and Export Data Watch reported.

According to Watson & Band Import and Export Data Observation Report, in 2019, only 5% of the plastics in packaging in the European market came from recycled resources. Recyclers face challenges selling recycled materials in a market dominated by cheaper, higher-quality virgin materials.

To address this, the EU plans to boost demand for recycled plastic by extending the recycled content target from plastic bottles to all plastic packaging.

Proposals in this regard will be made as part of the revision of the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive, which is expected to be presented on 30 November.

EURACTIV revealed that an unpublished draft would require all plastic packaging on the EU market to "contain a certain amount of recycled content from post-consumer plastics" by January 2030, reports Watson & Band Import and Export Data Watch.

The 2030 target is tentative and subject to change before the proposal is published, and may be increased again by 2040 as follows:

25% recycled content in contact-sensitive plastic packaging such as food packaging (50% by 2040)

50% recycled content in single-use plastic beverage bottles (65% by 2040)

45% recycled plastic content for other plastic packaging (65% by 2040)

Good for the recycled plastics market

Whatever goal is ultimately adopted, the intent is clear – the EU wants to boost the market for recycled plastics by mandating a minimum amount of recycled material in new packaging.

According to recycling industry association EuRIC, the move will also increase recycling rates and prompt companies to design products that comply with the recycling process because it is in their interest, Watson & Band Import and Export Data Watch reports.

Recycled content targets for plastic bottles made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) already exist under the EU's single-use plastics directive, which states that by 2025 25 percent of the material content in bottles should come from Recycled plastics, increased to 30% by 2030.

EuRIC says these recycled content targets drive systemic change in the production and recycling of plastic bottles. Recycling PET saves over 70% in energy and CO2 emissions, which is now better reflected in prices.

Recycling challenges for beverage cartons containing polymer layers

But beverage carton makers say the target should not be higher than 30%. Otherwise, it will create discrepancies with the single-use plastics directive, warns Annick Carpentier of the Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment (ACE).

Beverage cartons present a challenge for recyclers because they add materials such as aluminum and plastic layers to the packaging to keep food safe from moisture and air, extending the shelf life of drinks, soups and sauces.

While technologies exist to separate plastic from fibers, they are not yet available on a large scale, although the industry says it is addressing the issue.

The beverage carton industry has so far invested around €200 million in recycling capacity and plans to invest a further €120-150 million by 2027, mainly in polymer and aluminum (PolyAl) recycling, ACE said in a study facility.

Another solution is to adjust the packaging design to more easily separate the different layers of plastic and paper to improve recyclability. Manufacturers of cardboard, corrugated cardboard and other wood fiber packaging are campaigning to have their products recognized by EU law for their renewable and recyclable properties. They also warned that the EU's plans to introduce mandatory recycled content targets for new products could "undermine an already very effective system".

Food contact safety needs to be cautious

Another challenge in using recycled plastic is ensuring its safe use in food packaging. Dorota Napierska, an activist with Zero Waste Europe, said that in order to allow safe recycled content in food materials, food contact material regulations need to be overhauled to remove harmful substances from virgin materials. chemical substances, thereby ensuring that secondary raw materials are free of toxins.

She argues that policymakers should focus more on reuse than recycling, otherwise "as long as single-use solutions are recycled, this can justify the large-scale use of single-use solutions".

ACE says it does not object to recycling targets for plastic as long as it is safe for consumers. However, ACE told EURACTIV that there is a limited amount of recycled plastic legally allowed for use in food contact materials. Therefore, for safety reasons, she believes that mandating the use of recycled materials in contact-sensitive applications may not be the best option.

In 2019, an estimated 41% of plastic packaging waste was recycled in the EU, providing strong evidence for the need for recycled content targets to boost recycling. But EuRIC wants the European Commission to go beyond the recycled content targets for plastics and apply them to other types of materials.

Implement the deposit return system to increase the recycling rate

Meanwhile, Relop, a coalition of industry and environmental NGOs, is calling for a 90% recycling rate for all beverage packaging – whether metal, glass or plastic – by 2029, which would ensure Higher recovery rates. It also called on Member States whose collection performance fell short of the 90% target to adopt a Deposit Return System (DRS).

Denmark, Finland, Germany, Norway and Lithuania have already reached 90% of the Relop target, while 18 EU countries (accounting for 45% of the EU population) will implement deposit return schemes (DRS) by 2026, the group said. Import and export data observation report.

Relop notes that after some initial opposition, industry majors are now publicly backing the DRS, saying the 90% target will "deliver substantial climate savings and push the beverage industry into 'waste nirvana' of closed-loop recycling".