The EU’s simplification frenzy has taken aim at the packaging industry and waste-value chain, but Europe’s independent publishers may not recover.
A new set of common EU rules that cover the entire packaging life cycle, as well as mandatory requirements for packaging materials to facilitate recycling – Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) – came into force on Wednesday (12 August).
It is designed to reduce waste and help with cross-border deliveries.
It also restricts polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), or ‘forever chemicals’, in food-contact packaging, with strict limits for what can be placed on the EU market.
“Without action, packaging waste in the EU was projected to grow by 19 percent by 2030, while plastic packaging waste could rise by as much as 46 percent,” said the European Commission’s environmental department rectorate.
