About: Packaging waste

Tackling food waste: turning nemesis into a saviour

The function of food packaging has traditionally been limited to passive protection from external influences, but innovations are quickly changing its role. Packaging is getting active and intelligent, able to monitor and interact with food and environment and maintain food freshness for longer, writes Dr Milka Sokolović.

Packaging industry calls for policy reform to boost plastics recycling

A host of UK packaging organisations have called for more recycling collection points, tax reliefs for recycled content and a universal list of acceptable materials as part of a desired regulation reform to make it easier for consumers to recycle packaging waste. EURACTIV's media partner edie.net reports.

Europeans will have to recycle half of their waste by 2025

European households and businesses will have to recycle at least 55% of their municipal waste by 2025, according to stricter new rules passed by the European Parliament on Wednesday (18 April).

The future of packaging: It’s all about recyclability

The plastics industry is changing fast, and the way our food and products are packaged could look totally different in just a few years.

Circular economy? Not without the internal market!

Without oversight, the implementation of the circular economy package entails a huge risk of Member States going into different directions and introducing barriers to the internal market, warns Virginia Janssens.

Packaging and the environment

Download PDF  

European countries are preparing to implement a brand new set of waste and recycling laws, following the conclusion of negotiations on the circular economy package in December. But there is more ahead, with the Plastics Strategy unveiled by the European Commission only one month later.

Packagers warn against EU waste policies eroding single market

Ahead of negotiations to finalise the revision of EU packaging waste legislation, the European packaging industry is calling for the free movement of packaged goods to be safeguarded. EURACTIV's media partner edie.net reports.

Packaging in the circular economy: A sustainable business ?

In December 2015, the European Commission presented a new Circular Economy Package that will impact a wide range of sectors, including packaging

Clearing up the confusion around marine plastics

Contrary to popular myths, most plastic pollution at sea occurs on the seabed and on beaches, not on the surface. If we want to secure the health of our oceans, we need to start looking at preventing marine plastic litter at source, writes Chris Sherrington.

Europe should continue to strive for the ideal circular economy

The European Commission's Circular Economy package is a balanced and achievable proposal but what now counts are the steps taken by the European Parliament and Council of Ministers to ensure a global mindset, effective enforcement, and strong recycling ambition, write Maarten Labberton and Magdalena Garczynska.

Waste sector calls for fair competition and ‘no grey zones’

SPECIAL REPORT / Industry leaders united around a call for fair, transparent and universal minimum extended producer responsibility (EPR) requirements in an ongoing review of EU waste management targets, at a Brussels conference last week. 

EU predicts ‘waste tsunami’ if world fails to cut down trash

The European Commission is preparing new policy proposals to reduce waste and reach greater recycling rates, in order to move towards a zero-refuse economy.

Central Europe plays catch up on steel recycling

Central Europe's relatively low rates of recycling represent an untapped potential with easy gains, said participants at a Steel Packaging Summit in Košice. EURACTIV Slovakia reports.

Waste Prevention and Recycling

European responses to waste generation have been fragmented (twelve directives since the 1970s) and inefficient until now. The Commission's proposed Thematic Strategy (21 Dec. 2005) sets up a framework for a holistic review of the existing EU waste policy, based on prevention and recycling.

Brussels clears German packaging-deposit scheme

A long-standing case over Germany's mandatory return scheme for used cans and bottles was dropped by the Commission after changes were introduced in the system to make it compatible with EU internal trade rules.

Ministers call for concrete measures on waste prevention

The Environment Council has emphasised the importance of keeping a clear waste hierarchy that puts the priority on prevention, thereby soothing green NGO fears that it wanted to prioritise incineration for generating energy.

Experts criticise muddled EU waste proposals

The Commission's proposals on waste are foggy on key definitions that are at the heart of the new strategy focusing on life-cycle thinking, a panel of MEPs, business and NGO experts agreed.

Commission opts for hands-off approach on waste policy

The proposed new waste strategy seeks to cut waste generation and boost recycling and recovery through a new 'life-cycle' approach. But it leaves the thorny issue of recycling and prevention targets to EU states.

Brief – Packaging: recycling deadlines postponed for EU-10

EU ministers have rubber-stamped an agreement to postpone the deadline for packaging waste recycling and recovery schemes in the ten new EU member states.

German drinks packaging deposit system ruled illegal

The European Court of Justice has ruled the German system of mandatory return and deposit of drink packages illegal on the basis that it imposes disproportionate trade restrictions on other EU producers.

Packaging Waste (no longer updated)

The packaging and packaging waste directive (94/62/EC) was amended in January 2004 by directive 2004/12/EC. The revised directive sets new recovery and recycling targets for a five-year phase. The Conciliation Committee (between Parliament and Council) has reached a compromise on the review of the Packaging Waste Directive - permitting Member States to count incineration for recovery targets.