Members of the European Parliament voted to adopt revised rules aimed at reducing the use of single-use plastic and calling for greater reuse and recycling, agricultural news portal Fruitnet reported on November 22.
The European Parliament was considering a position paper on new pan-European rules designed to encourage the reuse and recycling of plastic. MEPs approved the report at a plenary meeting on 22 November. 426 voted in favor, 125 against and 74 abstentions.
It has been announced that Parliament will not start negotiations with national governments on the final form of the regulation once the European Council has adopted its position. The general packaging reduction objectives proposed in the resolution are 5% by 2030, 10% by 2035 and 15% by 2040.
The new standards require that all packaging be recyclable, meeting strict criteria, which must be defined in the regulations. There are some temporary exceptions, for example for food packaging made of wood and wax. EU countries will be asked to ensure separate collection of 90% of packaging materials (plastic, wood, ferrous metals, aluminium, glass, paper and cardboard) by 2029.
Belgian MEP Frederique Ries, who drafted the report, welcomed the results of the vote. “Parliament sends a strong signal in favor of a complete review of the EU packaging and packaging waste market”, he commented. According to Rees, new “Legislation is essential for European competitiveness and innovation and reconciles environmental ambitions with industrial realities”.
The proposals, adopted in a vote by MEPs, were harshly criticized by fresh food packaging companies.
Recall that in 2018, packaging sales in the EU amounted to 355 billion euros (34 trillion rubles). According to Eurostat, packaging waste in the European Union amounted to 84 million tonnes in 2021, up from 66 million tonnes in 2009. Without intervention, packaging waste per capita in the EU is projected to increase from 188.7 kg in 2021 to 209 kg in 2030.
Source: Rossa Primavera
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