New EU Regulation on Packaging: Reducing, Reusing, Recycling

How much of the packaging you use is truly sustainable? Can your business prove its environmental claims? The European Union’s recently adopted Regulation on Packaging and Packaging Waste is challenging businesses to rethink their practices, placing accountability and verifiability at the forefront.

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With its focus on reduce, reuse, and recycle, this regulation aims to drastically cut packaging waste, promote the circular economy, and align Europe with global sustainability trends. More than just setting ambitious targets, it directly addresses the issue of greenwashing, requiring businesses to back their sustainability claims with transparent and credible data.

In this post, we’ll explore the EU’s packaging regulation and its impact on businesses and consumers.

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^{What is the EU Packaging Regulation?}

The EU Packaging Regulation, released on January 22, 2025, is a law aimed at reducing packaging waste, increasing recyclability, and promoting reuse by 2030. Approved with 476 votes in favor, 129 against, and 24 abstentions, it tackles growing waste, harmonizes internal market rules, and strengthens the circular economy while requiring businesses to verify their sustainability claims to avoid greenwashing.

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^{What are the Key Highlights of the New EU Packaging Rules?}

The new EU Regulation on Packaging and Packaging Waste is a transformative measure aimed at tackling the environmental and economic challenges posed by excessive packaging.

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Here are the most significant aspects:

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_{Goals of the Regulation}

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• Reduce Waste Generation: The regulation enforces packaging minimization, targeting excess packaging materials to prevent waste at the source.
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• Promote Reuse and Recycling: By 2030, all packaging in the EU must be recyclable in an economically viable way. Reusable packaging formats are encouraged through stricter design requirements.
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• Harmonize Rules Across Member States: It addresses fragmented rules that previously caused market inefficiencies, creating unified criteria for sustainable packaging and reducing compliance costs for businesses.
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^{Focus on Recyclability & Material Composition}

• Recyclable Packaging Standards: Packaging must meet specific recyclability performance grades (A, B, or C). By 2030, packaging below grade C will no longer be permitted, and stricter thresholds will apply by 2038.
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• Mandatory Recycled Content: New rules require minimum percentages of recycled materials in plastic packaging, promoting high-quality recycling to reduce reliance on virgin materials.
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^{Sustainability & Health Priorities}

• Substances of Concern: The regulation limits the use of hazardous substances like lead, cadmium, mercury, and PFAS in packaging, ensuring these materials do not pose risks to human health or the environment.
  
• Food Contact Safety: Packaging used for food and medical purposes will adhere to stricter requirements to prevent contamination and ensure consumer safety.
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^{Alignment with Circular Economy Goals}

• Design for Circularity: Packaging must be designed to allow for high-quality recycling or reuse, reducing landfill waste. This aligns with the EU’s broader Circular Economy Action Plan and its goals of sustainable material use.
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• Innovative Packaging Incentives: Industry players introducing packaging with significant environmental benefits, such as compostable options for certain uses, may receive additional compliance flexibility.
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^{Role of Separate Collection in High-Quality Recycling}

• Efficient Waste Management: Emphasis is placed on separate collection systems to ensure cleaner waste streams, which boosts the quality of recyclates and reduces contamination in recycling processes.
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• Preventing Overpackaging: Clear guidelines discourage unnecessary packaging, such as false bottoms or excessive padding, ensuring that packaging is functional and sustainable.
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With the regulation closely aligning with global initiatives like the Global Plastic Treaty, it underscores the importance of international collaboration to address packaging waste. By fostering collective action, the regulation aims to combat plastic pollution on a global scale.

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^{Why the New EU Packaging Regulation is a Sustainability Milestone?}

Packaging waste is a growing challenge, with 36% of municipal solid waste in the EU stemming from packaging and 40% of the region’s plastics and 50% of its paper being used for this purpose. The new EU Packaging Regulation steps in to address these concerns, setting ambitious targets for sustainability while fostering innovation and accountability.

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This regulation envisions a future where packaging no longer contributes to excessive waste but becomes a cornerstone of the circular economy. By 2030, all packaging must meet clear recyclability performance standards, ensuring efficient recycling processes. Reuse is also prioritized, encouraging businesses to adopt durable designs that minimize reliance on single-use materials.
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To prevent greenwashing, the regulation enforces transparency through verifiable sustainability claims and harmonized labeling. This empowers consumers to make informed decisions, knowing their efforts in recycling and waste management align with a credible system.

By holding businesses accountable and fostering consumer trust, this regulation paves the way for a greener, more sustainable Europe.
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^{How the EU Packaging Regulation Impacts Businesses?}

Are your packaging claims credible? The new EU Packaging Regulation is reshaping how businesses must answer these questions—and the consequences of failing to do so are serious.

At the core of the regulation is the crackdown on greenwashing. No longer can businesses rely on vague or exaggerated claims about recyclability or sustainability. If your packaging promises eco-friendliness, you need the data to prove it. 

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Without transparency and verification, you risk regulatory penalties, loss of consumer trust, and significant reputational damage.

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But the challenges go beyond compliance. Is your packaging designed for high-grade recyclability? Does it meet the new reuse standards? Redesigning materials to align with these rules can strain resources, especially for smaller businesses. The cost of doing nothing, however, could be much higher—consumers are increasingly demanding authentic sustainability, and the competition to win their loyalty is fierce.

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And what about your customers? Are you making it easy for them to recycle or reuse your packaging? The regulation mandates clear labeling to help consumers take the right action. Companies that fail to provide this clarity risk alienating the growing audience of eco-conscious buyers who expect brands to lead the charge toward sustainability.

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The question is no longer whether sustainability matters—it’s whether your business can adapt fast enough to stay relevant and compliant in this new era of accountability.

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^{How Your Business Can Meet the EU Packaging Regulation?}

The EU Packaging Regulation sets a high bar for sustainability, demanding verifiable efforts to reduce packaging waste and embrace the circular economy. While adapting to these changes may seem complex, businesses that act decisively can turn these challenges into opportunities for growth and innovation.

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Our solutions are designed to guide you through this transformation, ensuring your sustainability initiatives are not only compliant but also deliver real, measurable impact. How to achieve compliance with traceability and verification you ask? 

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• Track Your Impact: Use blockchain-based traceability to monitor the journey of your packaging materials, from sourcing to recycling, ensuring alignment with the regulation’s standards.
• Prove Your Claims: Plastic credits are verifiable data that prevents accusations of greenwashing, giving consumers and regulators confidence in your sustainability initiatives.
• Simplify Reporting: Meet labeling and reporting requirements with real-time dashboards that make compliance clear and straightforward.

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^{How Can Plastic Credits Prove Your Sustainability Claims?}

Can your business confidently back up its sustainability claims? With the EU Packaging Regulation raising the bar for transparency and accountability, it’s no longer enough to simply talk about reducing waste—you need measurable proof. Plastic Credits, powered by Plastiks, provide exactly that.

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Plastic Credits offer a simple, effective way to demonstrate your commitment to reducing plastic waste and supporting the circular economy. These digital certificates verify the recovery and recycling of plastic, ensuring your claims are credible and compliant with the regulation. By leveraging blockchain technology, Plastiks guarantees full traceability, protecting your business from accusations of greenwashing while enhancing consumer trust.

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Danone Spain is leading sustainability efforts with its ReNueva project, recovering and recycling PET plastic bottles into rPET for packaging. Partnering with Plastiks, they aim to trace up to 2,000 tons of recovered plastic annually using blockchain, ensuring full transparency and compliance. This initiative strengthens Danone’s commitment to the circular economy and builds trust with eco-conscious consumers.

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Your business can also leverage Plastic Credits to demonstrate traceable impact, avoid regulatory fines, and showcase your commitment to sustainability. By using Plastiks’ blockchain-based verification, you can ensure your green claims are credible and add real value to your brand while aligning with the EU’s ambitious standards.

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^{Take the Next Step Toward Compliance}

Is your business ready to meet the challenges of the EU Packaging Regulation and turn them into opportunities? Our team of experts at Plastiks is here to guide you through compliance, help you avoid regulatory risks, and showcase your sustainability efforts with confidence.

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Whether it’s leveraging Plastic Credits, implementing blockchain-based traceability, or ensuring your green claims are verifiable, we’ve got the tools and expertise to help you succeed.

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Book a meeting with our experts today to learn how we can support your business in achieving compliance while adding real value to your brand. Let’s work together to lead the way toward a more sustainable, circular future.

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^{Frequently Asked Questions}

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^{When does the EU Packaging Regulation take effect?}

The regulation starts in 2025, with full compliance targets by 2030.

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^{Who does the EU Packaging Regulation apply to?}

It applies to all businesses producing, using, or placing packaging on the EU market.

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^{What are the main goals of the regulation?}

• Reduce packaging waste.
• Ensure all packaging is recyclable by 2030.
• Prevent greenwashing with verified claims.

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^{How can Plastiks support EU Packaging compliance?}

Plastiks offers tools like Plastic Credits and blockchain verification to help businesses meet regulatory standards and prove their impact.

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