On April 24, 2024, the European Parliament adopted the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) or Packaging Materials and Waste Regulation, which is expected to replace the Packaging Directive 94/62/EC with the aim of contributing to the transition to a circular economy.
The PPWR is undoubtedly a milestone breakthrough in green policies for packaging management, underscored by the shift from Directive to Regulation. The latter does not need to be transposed by the member state with its own legislation, but is directly applicable throughout the single market and is immediately binding on states and companies upon publication in the European Official Journal.
This will harmonize the European internal market and accelerate the targets of making all packaging reusable or recyclable by 2030, reducing packaging waste and over- or complex packaging, introducing obligations regarding the content of recycled material in plastic packaging.
Packaging: definition
Addressing ever increasing environmental concerns, the packaging industry is increasingly moving toward sustainable solutions that reduce ecological impact through the use of recyclable, biodegradable, or renewable materials.
The EU is strongly focusing on reducing the environmental impact of packaging through various directives and regulations that promote the use of recyclable materials, waste mitigation, and of course innovation, without which many changes would not be possible. Central is the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive, the first version of which was adopted in 2015 as part of the Circular Economy Action Plan.
EU policies on packaging are key to leading companies toward the circular economy and greatly influencing manufacturing industries, retail distribution, and consumer behavior across Europe. Such initiatives are part of a broader set of regulations that seek to “balance” economic progress and environment protection, making sure that innovation in packaging contributes positively to both the economy and the environment.
Grounds for the Regulations
Packaging uses large amounts of new materials ( 40% of plastic and 50% of paper used in the EU is for packaging) and accounts for 36% of MSW.
Although the first Packaging Directive, 94/62/EC (PPWD – Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive) was ambitiously intended to reduce the huge amount of packaging circulating in Europe, the environmental impact of packaging has not decreased at all. Far from it Between 2011 and 2021, packaging waste generated was estimated to have increased by 27%.
In 2021, the EU generated 188.7 kg of packaging waste per inhabitant, 10.8 kg more per person than in 2020, the largest increase in 10 years, and nearly 32 kg more than in 2011.
Altogether, the EU generated 84 million tons of packaging waste, 40.3% of which is paper and cardboard. Plastic accounted for 19.0%, glass 18.5%, wood 17.1% and metal 4.9%.
In 2021, each person residing in the EU generated an average of 35.9 kg of plastic packaging waste. Only 14.2 kg of this on a per capita basis was recycled.
All this prompted the European lawmakers to reconsider the Directive so as to take more effective steps, and moving towards a Regulation.
PPWR: which changes
The new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation – https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2024-0318_EN.html – once effective will directly apply in each member state and completely replace the Packaging Directive 94/62/EC, with the challenging aim of harmonizing the internal packaging market and ensuring that all packaging in the EU is recyclable by 2030. In addition, the total amount of packaging used will have to be reduced to 15% by 2040.
Companies will have to review many things in packaging management to comply with PPWR, in general all market players will have to better understand packaging, as, from now on, sustainability features will increasingly be a competitive and differentiating feature.
PPWR is further important to promote innovation and support for research and development of new materials that can be more easily recycled or reused; or that facilitate quality recycling. From this perspective, eco-design will no longer be an option. At Qwarzo, we believe that designing for recyclability is an essential feature for reducing the impact of end-of-life packaging, improving the quality of recycled materials, and accelerating the transition to the circular economy. In particular, eco-design is key to moving beyond multi-material packaging and applying new materials, new ingredients, to replace plastic. We enable this change with our innovative technology.
Our mineral-based coating enhances and functionalizes the materials to which it is applied while completely preserving their fundamental qualities, including recyclability.
Food packaging and PPWR: what is going to change
Among the sectors most affected by PPWR is food packaging.
Food packaging requires special considerations beyond the general packaging ones. Namely, since food packaging must not only physically protect the contents, but also ensure food safety and quality throughout the supply chain to the end consumer. An element, safety, that has always been important, and yet in the post-pandemic era even more so, given the greater awareness with respect to the ease that certain health hazards can quickly generate and circulate.
More than just viruses and bacteria, however, can circulate thanks to food packaging.
PFAS
PPWR scores a secure victory on a long-standing issue known by the acronym PFAS.
PFASs (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a class of synthetic chemical compounds used in food packaging known their ability to resist heat, water and oil, we often find them in coatings for pots and pans (the famous nonstick pans) and other food packaging. Their threat to human health has been a topic of ongoing discussion, with recent reports now offering definitive conclusions. (https://www.fondazioneveronesi.it/magazine/articoli/alimentazione/pfas-cosa-sono-e-dove-si-trovano)
Part of their danger lies in their persistence, as they do not readily degrade and can accumulate in the human body and ecosystems over time. This is why they are also referred to as ‘forever chemicals’: the PPWR now mandates that they cannot be used beyond certain thresholds in food contact packaging.
PACKAGING BAN
Plastic poses a significant challenge within the packaging issue: despite accounting for approximately 19-20% of packaging materials, its current recycling rates are dismally low, and its environmental impact is colossal. The solutions for plastic are essentially twofold: reduce the production of new plastic and improve the process for managing and recycling post-consumer plastic.
The PPWR introduces minimum percentages of recycled plastic content in packaging. Every plastic component of packaging introduced to the market in the future must contain a minimum percentage of recycled content, recovered from post-consumer plastic waste, ranging from 10 to 35% by 2030 and reaching up to 65% by 2040.
However, are these percentages alone sufficient to ensure we reach the ultimate goal? This goal is not merely to have packaging products with the highest possible recycled content but also to increase the number of companies integrated into circular supply chains and ensure that the circular and regenerative economy becomes the primary model for production and consumption. Only then can we truly speak of sustainable development and a better future. Regulations set the stage for this ultimate goal, but the shift happens through innovation in processes, products, and high-quality recycling..
Reuse vs recycle
The PPWR also introduces other principles aimed at reducing single-use packaging in favor of reusable ones, for which a proper disciplinary framework is established.
As of January 1, 2030, there will be several bans, specifically on plastic packaging. For instance: single-use plastic packaging used in retail to bundle products like bottles, cans, jars, trays, etc., will be banned; single-use plastic packaging for prepackaged fresh fruits and vegetables weighing less than 1.5 kg will be prohibited; single-use plastic packaging for food and beverages consumed in hotels, restaurants, cafes, and similar establishments (HORECA sector) will be banned, along with single-use plastic packaging containing individual servings of dressings, preserves, sauces, coffee creams, sugar, and toppings in the hotel and restaurant sector (with very few exceptions).
Moreover, the PPWR includes a material-neutral ban on all single-use packaging for cosmetics, hygiene products, and toiletries intended for the hospitality sector (such as shampoo bottles in hotels).
Concerning the directive on reuse issued to restaurant operators by the Regulation, there have been numerous uncertainties circulating among stakeholders, including major European paper value chain associations and restaurant brand-owners..
We at Qwarzo reckon that reusable packaging could be a sustainable fix across environmental, social, and economic fronts, but only in particular niches like closed-loop setups such as public buildings, airports, or school cafeterias where managing returns and setting up efficient washing systems is doable and monitored.
Nonetheless, as per the European Paper Packaging Alliance (EPPA), switching to reusable packaging in most envisaged scenarios might up the socio-environmental impacts of catering and pose contamination risks to users.
In particular, it’ll demand more materials and resource extraction to craft reuse-friendly products, a hike in water usage for washing, and unsustainable adjustment costs for small businesses, building entry barriers that’ll cramp down on the European dining scene and customer experience. Moreover, let’s not gloss over the significant impact user behaviours would have in these reuse scenarios, as they bear the responsibility of returning the packaging.
In terms of, the game is far from over, as evidenced by a recent study from the EU’s Joint Research Centre assessing the environmental impact across six case studies spanning four scenarios, focusing on single-use and multi-use packaging solutions in the hospitality, food service, and catering sectors.(https://www.foodpackagingforum.org/news/jrc-publishes-case-studies-on-single-use-versus-multiple-use-packaging)
Qwarzo® technology paves the way to overcome many of these challenges upfront: our single-use paper packaging, enhanced with our silica-based mineral coating and fully recyclable, emerges as a top-notch substitute for both single-use and multi-use plastics. It excels in environmental performance throughout its life cycle, ensures consumer safety and hygiene, and comes at a cost-effective advantage, completely aligning with all regulations, dalla Single Use Plastics Directive alla recente PPWR.
