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Packaging waste

EU rules on packaging and packaging waste address both the design of packaging and its waste management.

These regulations aim to reduce the increasing amounts of packaging waste, mitigate environmental problems, and harmonize the internal market by preventing varying national rules on packaging design.

Although these rules have achieved significant results, the volume of packaging waste in the EU continues to rise, leading to wasted finite resources that are not reintroduced into the economy.

​EU packaging regulations apply to all packaging types and materials across sectors, including industrial, commercial, and household.

These rules establish:
  • Essential requirements for the manufacturing, composition, and recoverability of packaging.
  • Measures to manage and prevent packaging waste.

Key amendments include:
  • Adding examples of packaging to Annex I.
  • Introducing measures to reduce plastic carrier bag consumption in 2015.
  • Raising recycling targets and waste prevention obligations.
  • Establishing mandatory Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes under the 2018 Circular Economy Package.

Key Objectives

The Packaging Directive aims to:
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  • Harmonize national measures for packaging and packaging waste.
  • Provide high environmental protection standards.
  • Ensure the effective functioning of the EU internal market.
  • The latest updates emphasize waste prevention, promoting reuse and recycling, and aligning with the European Green Deal.
Packaging waste in the European Union  has been on an upward trajectory, posing significant environmental challenges.

Here's an overview of the latest statistics:
Total Packaging Waste Generation
  • 2021: The EU generated approximately 84.3 million tonnes of packaging waste, marking a 6% increase from 2020.
  • Per Capita: This equates to 188.7 kg of packaging waste per inhabitant, an increase of 10.8 kg per person compared to 2020—the largest rise in a decade.
Packaging Waste by Material Type (2021)
  • Paper and Cardboard: Constituted 40.3% of the total packaging waste.
  • Plastic: Accounted for 19.0%.
  • Glass: Made up 18.5%.
  • Wood: Comprised 17.1%.
  • Metal: Represented 4.9%.
Plastic Packaging Waste
  • Generation: In 2021, each EU resident generated an average of 35.9 kg of plastic packaging waste, a 4.0% increase from 2020.
  • Recycling: Out of this, 14.2 kg were recycled per person, reflecting a 9.5% improvement from the previous year.
Recycling Rates by Country (2021)
  • Highest: Belgium led with a recycling rate of approximately 80% for packaging waste.
  • EU Average: The overall recycling rate across the EU was 65%.
Trends Over Time
  • Between 2010 and 2021, the EU experienced a 24.2% increase in packaging waste, amounting to an additional 16.4 million tonnes.
  • The most significant growth was observed in wood packaging (32.7%), followed by plastic (29.9%) and paper and cardboard (23.5%).

Legislative Framework

Key legislative frameworks include:​​
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Directive 2008/98/EC establishes a comprehensive legal framework for waste management in the European Union. Its goals include protecting the environment and human health, promoting sustainable waste management practices, and supporting resource efficiency.

Key Points
  • Waste Hierarchy: The directive defines a five-step hierarchy: prevention, preparing for reuse, recycling, other recovery (e.g., energy recovery), and disposal.
  • Polluter-Pays Principle: Waste producers bear the cost of waste management.
  • Extended Producer Responsibility: Manufacturers are held responsible for managing the waste lifecycle of their products.
  • By-products vs. Waste: Clarifies when a substance is classified as a by-product rather than waste.
  • Waste Management Standards: Operations must prevent harm to water, air, soil, plants, and animals.

Implementation Requirements
  • Waste must be treated by authorized operators holding valid permits.
  • EU countries must develop waste-management plans and prevention programs.
  • Special provisions apply to hazardous waste, waste oils, and bio-waste.
  • Recycling and recovery targets include:
    • 50% recycling for household waste by 2020.
    • 70% recovery of construction and demolition waste by 2020.

Amendments by Directive (EU) 2018/851
This amendment aligns waste management rules with the EU's Circular Economy Action Plan, introducing:
  • Minimum operating requirements for extended producer-responsibility schemes.
  • Measures to support sustainable production and consumption, including:
    • Resource-efficient product design.
    • Repairability and reusability of products.
    • Reduction of food waste and hazardous substances.
  • New recycling targets:
    • 55% of municipal waste recycled by 2025, 60% by 2030, and 65% by 2035.
  • Separate collection of textiles and hazardous household waste by 2025.
  • Mandatory separate collection or on-site recycling of bio-waste by 2023.

Application Timeline
  • Directive 2008/98/EC: Transposed into national laws by 12 December 2010.
  • Directive (EU) 2018/851: Transposed by 5 July 2020.

Background
EU waste generation used to be tied to economic growth. Modern waste management aims to decouple this link, emphasizing recovery, recycling, and sustainable resource use.

Key Terms
  • By-product: A secondary result of a production process, not considered waste under specific conditions.
  • Extended Producer Responsibility: Ensures manufacturers bear the financial and/or organizational responsibility for waste management.

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Targets

The Directive also sets the following specific targets for recycling. ​

Implementation

EU countries must ensure compliance with the directive, including:
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  • Monitoring and reporting recycling rates.
  • Establishing producer responsibility schemes.
  • Adopting harmonized standards.

Related Links

Relevant standards include:
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Timeline

  • 30 November 2022: Commission adopts revised rules.
  • 30 May 2018: Packaging Directive amended to enhance waste prevention and recycling.
    ​20 December 1994: Packaging Directive enters into force.