European Commission: Compostable plastics should be used for 5 products including plastic bags and mulch
The European Commission on November 30 proposed a series of measures aimed at reducing unnecessary and wasteful packaging. The proposal will be considered by the European Parliament and the Council.
The main target is to reduce packaging waste per capita by 15% in each member state by 2040 compared to 2018 levels. The step-by-step target is to reduce by 5% by 2030 and by 10% by 2035.
To achieve this goal, a series of measures need to be taken:
Make all packaging fully recyclable by 2030 and reduce total packaging waste by 37% by 2040.
By 2040, 80% of takeaway beverage sales will use refills, or customers bring their own cups.
Banning single-use packaging in hotels (fan shampoo), banning single-use sugar packets in restaurants and cafes, single-use packaging for fruits and vegetables in supermarkets, etc.
The regulations introduce a mandatory deposit refund scheme for plastic bottles and aluminum cans.
There are several requirements for bio-based, biodegradable, and compostable plastics:
Bio-based plastics should accurately label the specific bio-based content, for example: the product contains 50% bio-based plastic content.
Biodegradable plastics must be labeled to indicate how long it takes to biodegrade under what circumstances.
Tea bags, filter coffee pods and capsules, lightweight plastic shopping bags, fruit and vegetable stickers must be compostable.
Given the difficulty of reversing soil plastic pollution, certified biodegradable mulches could provide a beneficial alternative.
For other applications of biodegradable plastics, such as wire ropes used in the fishing industry, products used in tree protection, plant clips or lawn trimming cords, new test method standards should be developed.
Oxo-degradable plastics are banned because they do not provide proven environmental benefits, are not fully biodegradable, and negatively impact the recycling of conventional plastics.
