EU negotiators on Monday (March 4) reached an agreement to ban the use of single-use plastics in cafes and restaurants, starting in 2030. This decision was taken as part of new regulations aimed at reducing packaging waste across the bloc.
The single-use plastic ban
The European Union’s 27 nations and lawmakers have agreed on a draft text which includes a target to reduce packaging waste by five per cent by 2030 compared to 2018 levels. This reduction will further be increased to 10 per cent by 2035 and 15 per cent by 2040.
Unprocessed fresh fruits and vegetables, individual servings of condiments and sugar, as well as miniature toiletries and shrink-wrap used for suitcases in airports will also fall under the ban on single-use plastic packaging. Additionally, ultra-lightweight plastic bags will also be banned, with some exceptions.
The agreement also calls for establishments offering beverages and takeaway food to strive to provide 10 per cent of their products in reusable packaging by 2030.
Consumers should also have the option to use their own containers, said the EU parliament.
Additionally, lawmakers included a provision to ban “forever chemicals” in food packaging that come into contact with food to prevent adverse health effects, including various types of cancer.
The agreement, as per AFP, is a key element of the EU’s environmental objectives outlined in the Green Deal, a series of regulations designed to help the bloc achieve its climate targets.
The agreement will become law following formal approval by member states and the parliament.
Belgium lauds the agreement
Belgium, which currently holds the rotating EU presidency, took to X to announce: “This regulation aims to reduce waste caused by packaging, making it more sustainable, while ensuring the highest waste management standards.”
🥡 Deal! @EUCouncil & @Europarl_EN reach a provisional agreement on a proposal for a regulation on #packaging & packaging waste.
This regulation aims to reduce waste caused by packaging, making it more sustainable, while ensuring the highest waste management standards. pic.twitter.com/9yDA0ujeTS
— Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU 2024 (@EU2024BE) March 4, 2024
Frederique Ries, the Belgian EU lawmaker who championed the legislation, lauded the ban and said: “The ban on forever chemicals in food packaging is a great victory for the health of European consumers.”
“For the first time in an environmental law, the EU is setting targets to reduce packaging consumption, regardless of the material used.”
“We call on all industrial sectors, EU countries and consumers to play their part in the fight against excess packaging,” she said.
(With inputs from agencies)
