After plastic straws, the Commission is now targeting Nespresso capsules and single-use plastic bottles in its bid to reduce waste and boost the sustainability of packaging materials.
According to a draft document seen by Bloomberg, the Commission will announce measures this week to clean up the packaging industry. The regulations aim to strengthen the sustainability of packaging, given that this is one of the largest uses of non-recycled plastic and paper.
The EU countries and their companies should ensure that containers used for everyday products can be easily recycled or naturally biodegraded.
"A circular packaging economy will help to decouple economic growth from the use of natural resources," the European Commission document said. "Packaging has grown in recent years faster than gross national income, leading to a rapid increase in CO2 and other emissions and overexploitation of natural resources, biodiversity loss and pollution."
The new rules will affect sectors such as food and chemical production. In the EU, around 40% of plastic and 50% of paper is used in packaging, with packaging design often making reuse or recycling difficult. The new measures cover everything from the stickers that go on apples to single-use plastic bags.
Companies will have to use as little packaging as possible, while countries will have to ensure that 65% of all packaging waste is recycled by the end of 2025. The regulations are scheduled to be approved on Wednesday.
Source: MoneyReview