MEPs back drastic cut in packaging waste but NGOs say law watered down

Once the legislation is in place, it will enhance the reuse, collection and recycling of packaging and many single-use packaging items will cease to be used, such as lightweight plastic bags but some NGOs have decried what they say is a watering down of the initial proposed bill.

According to the Parliament’s environment committee chair, Pascal Canfin, the law will change the mindset of the packaging industries and could cut 20% or 30% of the 80 billion tonnes of packaging waste produced every year in Europe. 

“It is probably one of the texts which has been the most lobbied,” the French MEP told Euronews.

“I give you one example, McDonald’s is lobbying to keep the single-use model. The single-use model is that you use just once all that is necessary to have your food. 

“The alternative to this is precisely the proposal we pushed for, meaning that when you are in a McDonald’s, or KFC, or Burger King restaurant on site, not takeaway, then why should you use, to drink your coke, a single use cup? And not just a glass. Why?”

The legislation bans unnecessary packaging and will force industries to make all packaging recyclable by 2030.

Additionally, by 2035 all packaging must be recycled in Europe. 

The EU will also set mandatory quotas for the reuse of different packaging, including for beverage bottles.

Some member states asked for derogations to defend the interests of their packaging industries. In France, many feared the law would ban traditional wooden containers used to hold camembert cheese and oysters.

“Camembert packaging as it stands is biodegradable. It’s made of light wood and therefore poses no problem to the environment,” French MEP Jean-Paul Garraud said in an interview.

“And behind all this, there is a whole food tradition, there is a whole, naturally, important sector. For France, it represents thousands of jobs.”

But some critics have complained the Parliament’s position doesn’t go nearly far enough.

Sergio Baffoni, Senior Paper Packaging Campaigner at the Environmental Paper Network, said the outcome of the vote is “beyond outrageous: all meaningful restrictions were removed.”

“The very few that remain will actually increase paper packaging, as they are only aimed at curtailing plastic. This spells disaster for forests not only in Europe but all over the world. We already cut down 3 billion trees for packaging alone. Thanks to the European Parliament, the grotesque paper packaging demand will continue to grow. It’s utterly unsustainable,” he added. 

The Environmental Coalition on Standards (ECOS) accused Parliament of giving in to “throwaway culture”, arguing it will not sufficiently address rising plastic and packaging waste. 

“The European Parliament has just weakened a perfectly feasible solution to tackle throwaway culture, without offering an alternative. It is very frustrating that the European Commission’s progressive prevention and reuse agenda has not received full support from the Parliament today,” Mathias Falkenberg, Programme Manager at ECOS, said in a statement.

“The few improvements from MEPs, such as minimum durability standards for reusable packaging, do little to make up for the overall lack of ambition,” he also said. 

The European Parliament will now enter negotiations with the Council of the EU in order to find a common position on the law.