Packaging & packaging waste
Leak: Hungarian Presidency’s plans for energy, transport, environment
Est. 2minOn 1 July, Hungary will take over the Presidency of the Council of the EU from the Belgians. Euractiv has seen and reviewed Hungary's indicative plan for energy, transport and the environment during its six months as Council President.
Bulgarian court stops largest EU-funded environmental project, citing health risks
Est. 3minOn Thursday Bulgaria's Supreme Administrative Court stopped the controversial project to build a refuse-derived fuel (RDF) waste incinerator in the centre of Sofia, which would have used EU funding to turn the capital's waste into heat and electricity.
EU Parliament approves new rules to reduce, reuse and recycle packaging
Est. 3minThe European Parliament has adopted by a large majority a new directive on packaging and packaging waste. The text includes measures to prevent the production of waste, but also to promote the reuse and recycling of certain types of packaging.
Eucalyptus: Portugal’s sustainability dilemma
Est. 4minPortuguese eucalyptus forests are helping to replace plastics, but as the country's climate warms up, this highly flammable tree is a growing threat to people and biodiversity.
New packaging rules set to become law despite Commission objections
Est. 8minEU national governments agreed on Friday (15 March) to a new regime of packaging waste rules, following a dramatic few weeks during which the European Commission threatened to veto an agreement reached between governments and the European Parliament.
EU Parliament approves proposal to reduce textile and food waste
Est. 4minThe European Parliament on Wednesday (13 March) backed targets for the prevention and reduction of food and textile waste across the bloc. However, environmental NGOs have criticised the proposal's lack of ambition.
Level up EU circular economy: Unlock the power of mixed waste sorting
Est. 4minAs the European Union undergoes a crucial revision of its Waste Framework Directive, there is a pressing need for bold and innovative strategies to address the crisis of waste incineration and landfilling, write Alex Darut and Janek Vahk.
Is Europe set to become China’s recycling bin?
Est. 4minThe EU is considering defining post-consumer plastic waste as "plastic waste placed on the market of a Member State or a third country" - a definition which could threaten the entire recycling industry in Europe, write Lauriane Veillard and Joan Marc Simon.
Lawmakers back EU law to cut food and textile waste
Est. 3minThe European Parliament's environment committee voted on Wednesday (14 February) in favour of EU targets to reduce food waste as well as an obligation on the textile industry to pay for the trash it generates.
EU Commission moves to ban Bisphenol A in food packaging
Est. 3minThe European Commission launched a consultation on a draft proposal to phase out the use of the controversial chemical bisphenol A in food contact materials, including plastic boxes, protective coatings for cans, and food processing equipment.
Packaging waste regulation offers a final test of Europe’s commitment to the Green Deal
Est. 5minIn 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.
Beer makers lament Council’s wine, spirits exemption from EU packaging rules
Est. 5minWine and spirits should be exempt from future EU repackaging rules, EU environment ministers decided on Monday (18 December), angering beer producers who will have to comply with the new rules which include a new deposit system.
The draft regulation on packaging waste stokes fears about impact on forests
Est. 5minIn the run-up to this week's vote in the European Parliament on the draft packaging waste regulation, a Euractiv event looked at the impact of packaging on Europe's forests. Here are the key points.
Parliament votes to water down EU’s packaging waste law
Est. 6minThe European Parliament adopted its position Wednesday (22 November) on legislation to reduce packaging waste, after a tense debate on the role of reuse, recycling and bans.
Italian lawmakers weigh on EU’s green packaging law ahead of key vote
Est. 6minLawmakers in the European Parliament’s environment committee will vote on their approach to new rules tackling packaging waste on Tuesday (24 October) amid warnings from environmental groups that the law risks being watered down due to a concerted pushback from Italian MEPs.
Future of reuse systems at stake in key packaging waste law vote
Est. 5minEurope needs to shift towards reusable packaging to help bring it back within planetary boundaries. This requires structural change, underpinned by an ambitious packaging waste law, and lawmakers in the European Parliament need to back this, writes Aline Maigret.
PPWR must seek a balance between recycling and reuse for the benefit of the environment and society
Est. 4minInteracting with corrugated cardboard is a near daily occurrence in most people’s lives. It protects essential goods of all types as they travel around the globe and eventually end up in stores nearby or on our front doorsteps. Eleni Despotou …
Study: Reusable packaging lowers emissions compared to single-use
Est. 5minReusable packaging options could produce less emissions than single-use for some types of takeaway packaging, as long as collection, return and washing systems are efficient, according to a study published on Tuesday (5 September).
Challenging Packaging Practices: Recyclable Cardboard vs Reusable Crates
Replacing recyclable cardboard with reusable crates would increase the environmental impact of packaging and go against the spirit of the EU Green Deal. FEFCO prepared a video to dive deep into this issue and explore the many unintended consequences of reuse.
‘Room for fine tuning’ on EU’s packaging waste regulation, official says
Est. 3minThe EU's proposed packaging waste regulation can be fine-tuned to suit business needs but should not allow for too many exemptions, a senior EU official has said.
Glass deposit scheme makes a comeback in France
Est. 5minFrance will see the comeback of the glass bottle return scheme by 2025, according to a recent government announcement, which has already been welcomed by NGOs who now expect new initiatives to meet EU plastic waste reduction targets.
Can a global treaty stop plastic pollution?
This week on the 100th episode of the Beyond the Byline podcast, we dive into the negotiations on a potentially groundbreaking global treaty to end plastic pollution. Eirik Lindebjerg, Global Plastics Policy Lead at World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Willemijn Peeters, …
Fridges and dishwashers packed in reusable plastic? Bad idea, industry says
Est. 7minLarge household appliances will have to be transported almost entirely using reuseable packaging by 2030, according to the European Commission’s proposed packaging waste law, a move widely questioned by players in the supply chain.
Parliament split over how to tackle EU’s packaging waste problem
Est. 5minLawmakers in the European Parliament are split over the best way to tackle Europe’s growing packaging waste problem, with reuse versus recycling at the heart of the debate.