According to reporting from Euractiv, the Parliamentarian currently at work on the draft packaging and packaging waste regulation, Frédérique Ries, has removed the reusable packaging targets for takeaway food and drink sales claiming the “benefits of reuse in the food and drink takeaway sector are difficult to prove.” Additionally, Ries raised concerns about conflating reuse and refill, “[r]euse and refill are two very different notions, which deserve two distinct approaches, so as to not mix the concepts. Reuse is an industrial system, managed by economic actors, whereas refill is more a packaging reduction measure, managed primarily by the consumer.”
The European Commission added reuse targets in the original draft of the document published in December 2022 (FPF reported). Not everyone agrees with Ries’ removal. In another Euractiv report negotiators on behalf of the Socialists and Democrats, and Greens support the reuse goals, and the European Commission “also voiced concern about removing the reuse targets.” Other stakeholders supportive of the inclusion of reuse targets do, however, agree that reuse and refill should be clarified and considered separately.
Much of the discussion around the reuse targets focuses on concerns that reusable packaging is not actually as sustainable as popularly believed and may, in fact, end up using more resources. The overall greenhouse gas emissions of packaging depend on the type of food, the length of the transport system, the packaging material, and the waste infrastructure where the item is sold. Accounting for all these components is challenging and not standardized, which is why reports looking at the environmental impacts of packaging can often come to vastly different conclusions (FPF reported).
In a third Euractiv article covering this discussion, Jean-Pierre Schweitzer of the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) added that “many environmental benefits of reusable packaging [beyond greenhouse gas emissions] cannot be included in a lifecycle assessment, such as biodiversity, exposure to chemicals, microplastics, and land use” (FPF reported).
Even so, many life cycle analyses do conclude that reusables have a lower emissions footprint. The difference instead is the number of times the study authors believe that an item needs to be reused before reaching parity with single-use; which can vary from less than 10 to hundreds depending on article studied and the LCA criteria applied (FPF reported, also here).
Independent investigative outlet DeSmog reports that members of the food and packaging industry “held over 290 official meetings with Members of European Parliament on the [packaging and packaging waste regulation] between the beginning of 2022 and early April, compared to just 21 equivalent meetings held by NGOs.”
The Food Packaging Forum submitted comments on the draft regulation (FPF reported).
Parliament negotiators can propose amendments until May 10, 2023. The Parliament’s environment committee will vote on the draft of the regulation in September and a full Parliament vote should follow in October 2023.
References
Kira Taylor (May 3, 2023). “Lead EU lawmaker cuts takeaway reuse targets from draft packaging waste law.” Euractiv.
Kira Taylor (May 8, 2023). “Parliament split over how to tackle EU’s packaging waste problem.” Euractiv.
Valentina Romano (May 9, 2023). “Reuse a ‘big opportunity’ to tackle packaging waste, advocates say.” Euractiv.
Claire Carlile (May 8, 2023). “McDonald’s leads lobbying offensive against laws to reduce packaging waste in Europe.” DeSmog.
