Packaging waste regulation offers a final test of Europe’s commitment to the Green Deal

In the face of an escalating packaging waste crisis, European citizens and circular businesses are still eagerly waiting for the EU institutions to finally deliver credible rules to stop the growth of throwaway packing, writes Marco Musso.

Marco Musso is Senior Policy Officer for Circular Economy at the European Environmental Bureau (EEB),  a network of around 180 environmental citizens’ organisations based in more than 40 countries. He wrote this op-ed on behalf of the coalition of environmental NGOs working on the EU rules to cut packaging waste.

The proposal for a Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation in November 2022 marked an important step in the right direction by putting forward binding packaging waste reduction targets as well as concrete measures to get rid of unnecessary packaging and promote reuse.

Unsurprisingly, this was met with opposition from those interested in maintaining the wasteful status quo based on an overreliance on disposable packaging – which consumes an astounding 40% of all plastic and 50% of all paper in the EU.

Championing the lobbying efforts to water down the regulation were the producers of single use paper-based packaging and McDonalds who promoted untransparent studies to sow doubts on the benefits of waste prevention and reuse, spreading unfounded fears about hygiene and food waste as well as prophecies of economic doom.

Despite having been widely debunked by scientists, experts and civil society, these arguments often succeeded in polluting the debate and in misleading policymakers in the European Parliament.

Catering to industry demands, Parliament significantly weakened the waste prevention rules offering a free pass to throwaway packaging and polluters in November.

Notwithstanding  the blind opposition from a couple of countries, national governments in the Council proved better able to base their mandate on independent evidence and maintained some ambition on reuse and prevention.

Now after 4 years of preparatory work and 14 months of complex negotiations characterised by unprecedented levels of lobbying, it is finally time to complete this key element of the Green Deal.

Staying true to the Green Deal

The ongoing negotiations between the three EU institutions represent a litmus test for decision-makers. They are being challenged to resist the relentless lobbying, misleading claims and false solutions propagated by the throw-away and fast-food industry. Simultaneously, this will be the opportunity to prove their sincerity about the Green Deal objectives, the EU Circular Economy action plan and the opportunities this will create for Europe’s economy.

The credibility of EU institutions and their commitment to fact-based decision-making is being tested. Will they rise to the occasion by choosing to:

Introduce credible reuse targets for 2030 and 2040 allowing the reuse sector to reach an optimal scale without senseless loopholes?

Restrict the worst cases of unnecessary and excessive packaging – such as throw-away tableware when eating in a restaurant, or the unnecessary wrapping of fruit and vegetables?

Prevent regrettable substitutions – such as replacing single-use plastic with single-use paper-based packaging – by not allowing unjustified derogations for paper packaging?

Dismiss the endless exemptions and loopholes that create regulatory uncertainty, fragment the EU Single Market and undermine the regulation’s practical effectiveness?

Reuse: an economic opportunity

This regulation is much more than an urgent imperative for the environment, it is also an unmissable opportunity for Europe’s economy. The measures included in the proposal are projected to create 29,000 new green jobs in Europe and generate every year around 100€ of savings per capita for consumers by 2030. This is why major players from the packaging value chain recognised the clear opportunity of reuse and are ready for the transition towards more sustainable packaging systems.

A clear example is offered by the latest study developed by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation with more than 60 organisations including the European Investment Bank, national governments, reuse experts and major brands such as Coca-Cola, Danone, PepsiCo and Unilever – which confirms the environmental and business opportunities of reuse systems at scale.

Not a utopia but a transition well on its way

Establishing re-use systems at scale across Europe is not a utopian idea, but a transition already underway.

Across the Union, Member States and local authorities have already implemented reuse policies and restrictions on unnecessary packaging. At the same time, a multitude of innovative businesses are already operating reusable packaging systems at local, regional and national level.

What is needed now, are harmonised EU-wide policies to accelerate and support this transition. This is why a rapidly growing coalition of businesses, cities, and civil society organisations has been calling for ambitious reuse targets at the EU level without delays.

Europe must seize this opportunity and secure an ambitious packaging regulation before the European elections. The choice is clear: uphold the principles of the Green Deal, promote a circular economy and reap the well-documented benefits of waste prevention and reuse or succumb to the pressures of throw-away lobbies.

It’s time for the EU to put an end to wasteful practices and unlock the opportunities of genuinely circular packaging.