Context and adoption

High and constantly growing levels of packaging generation along with low levels of re-use and collection and poor recycling present significant barriers to achieving a low-carbon circular economy in the EU. Packaging uses high amounts of virgin materials and represents 36% of the EU’s municipal solid waste. According to the Commission, 40% of plastics and 50% of paper used in the EU is used in packaging.

On 11 March 2020, the Commission adopted a new Circular Economy Action Plan. The Action Plan, which forms part of both the European Green Deal and the EU’s Industrial Strategy, introduced measures to make sustainable products the norm in the EU and ensure less waste. On 30 November 2022, pursuant to commitments in the Action Plan, the Commission adopted a proposal for a new regulation on packaging and packaging waste, to amend Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 (the Market Surveillance and Compliance of Products Regulation) and Directive (EU) 2019/904 (the Single Use Plastics Directive), and to repeal Directive 94/62/EC (the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive).

The resulting