According to Zero Waste Europe, the European Parliament’s latest round of voting on the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) reflects an attitude that is behind the times. Annex V, a list which itemized unnecessary packaging formats, suffered a major blow with extensive derogations proposed by the ITRE Committee and by a delegation of Italian MEPs.
Packaging formats that were gutted include disposable plates and cups from dine-in restaurants, single-use packaging for fruit and vegetables and single-use sauce and sugar tubs and sachets.
Though waste prevention targets were preserved at 5% by 2030, 10% by 2035, and 15% by 2040, the watered-down text excluded crucial mechanisms needed to actually reach those targets. The position included reuse targets with derogations, reflecting an outdated stance that goes against the waste hierarchy.
Aline Maigret, Head of Policy at Zero Waste Europe: “We are dissatisfied with the decreased ambition in the text. Granting derogations and exemptions on waste prevention and reuse to ‘appease’ industry players is unacceptable and takes us even further from the ultimate goal of this revision: reducing packaging waste.”
For more information: zerowasteeurope.eu