Copyright: VectorMine
Project background
The use of reusable packaging helps to reduce both packaging waste and CO2 emissions. Within the European Union (EU), for example, an average of 178 kg per person was avoided in 2019. At the same time, resources are used more efficiently. This also strengthens the resilience of the economy in vulnerable supply chains.
Significant obligations to promote reusable packaging have been introduced by both the EU and national legislations, particularly within the past years. For example, the EU Single-Use Plastics Directive came into force in 2019. Since July 2021, certain single-use plastic products have been prohibited under the directive. These include, for example, to-go food packaging or drinking cups and containers which contain polystyrene. The directive also provides for a significant reduction in other single-use drinking cups and a 30 percent recycling rate for plastic bottles by 2030 – to name just a few examples. However, the conditions for fast implementation of the directive's targets vary greatly from one EU member state to another. This applies, for example, to the infrastructure for waste management or existing quotas for waste separation and recycling. In some cases, the countries of Central Eastern Europe face greater challenges here.