EU endorses agreement on packaging recycling figures

European Union ambassadors have endorsed a provisional agreement on four legislative proposals on discarded packaging reached within the European Parliament in December 2017. EU representatives contend the proposals can increase recycling levels and boost circular economy efforts.

The new rules establish legally binding targets for recycling and reducing landfilling with fixed deadlines. The targets include steps to reduce municipal and packaging waste, with specific targets for the recycling of materials used in packaging.

The EU has approved a goal of recycling or reusing 55 percent of discarded packaging by 2025; 60 percent by 2030; and 65 percent by 2035.

By Jan. 1, 2025, member states will have to set up separate collection for textiles and household hazardous wastes. Additionally, by Dec. 31, 2023, bio-waste will have to be either collected separately or recycled at the source. This will be in addition to other separate collections, which already exist for paper and cardboard, glass, metals and plastic.

Specific targets for packaging include:

The proposals also establish minimum requirements for all extended producer responsibility schemes. Producers of products under these schemes must bear responsibility for the end-of-life management of their packaging. Producers will be required to pay a financial contribution for that purpose. In addition, mandatory extended producer responsibility schemes for all packaging also has been introduced in the EU Parliament.

The legislation also contains a specific landfill reduction target. As of 2030, member states are tasked with ensuring that as of 2030, all materials suitable for recycling or other recovery, in particular within the municipal solid waste (MSW) stream, shall not be accepted in a landfill. The only exception concerns waste “for which landfilling delivers the best environmental outcome,” according to the EU. In addition, member states will ensure that by 2035 the amount of MSW landfilled is reduced to 10 percent or less of the total amount of MSW generated.

The legislation will be submitted to the European Parliament for a vote and then to the EU Council for final adoption. It will enter into force 20 days after its publication in the EU’s Official Journal.