Plans in the EU

More packaging should be recyclable

Certain single-use packaging is to be banned from 2030.(Bild: africa-studio.com (Olga Yastremska and Leonid Yastremskiy) - stock.adobe.com)

The EU is stepping up the pace in the fight against plastic waste, as more packaging must be recyclable in future. Negotiators from the European Parliament and the EU countries agreed on this in Brussels on Monday evening.

Certain single-use packaging, such as for unprocessed fresh fruit and vegetables or individual packaging for sugar, for example, is to be banned from 2030, the Parliament announced. The aim is to gradually reduce packaging waste by at least 15 percent by 2040 compared to 2018.

Stricter regulations for all packaging
In future, there will be stricter regulations for all packaging. With certain exceptions for textiles, ceramics and rubber, among others, all packaging will reportedly be recyclable. In future, online orders will only be delivered in containers that are at least half full: The so-called empty space percentage must not exceed 50 percent, the countries said.

According to Parliament, very light plastic bags will no longer be permitted in future - unless they are necessary for hygiene reasons or are used for loose food to avoid food waste.

Parliament and EU member states still have to agree
The negotiations were based on a legislative proposal from the EU Commission from 2022. The new rules still have to be formally adopted by the countries and the EU Parliament.