The EU’s latest environmental crackdown has come into force, with Brussels imposing a sprawling new set of packaging rules that will dictate how food, drinks and everyday goods are packaged across its member states. Under the new regulation, which began applying on 12 August, consumers will increasingly be expected to reuse, refill and return packaging, while businesses face restrictions on a range of familiar single-use products.
Among the more striking changes, customers buying takeout foods will be asked to bring their own reusable containers, while the EU is pushing businesses towards refillable packaging and away from disposable alternatives. Hotels will also be expected to replace miniature toiletries with refillable containers, as the EU’s appetite grows for regulating the minutiae of everyday life.
The regulation replaces EU packaging legislation dating back to 1994 and applies directly across member states. The European Council says Europeans generated an average of more than 188kg of packaging waste per person in 2021, with the bloc producing 84 million tonnes of packaging waste that year. The EU is also restricting certain single-use plastic packaging, including some containers used for food consumed in restaurants and cafés, condiment sachets and disposable cups and plates.
Even packaging for fresh fruit and vegetables is being targeted in certain circumstances. The rules also seek to prevent companies from using excessive amounts of packaging, including disproportionately large boxes for small products, double walls and false bottoms. Very lightweight plastic bags, such as those commonly provided at supermarkets, will also face restrictions except where required for hygiene reasons. The EU says the measures are necessary to cut waste and promote what it calls a "circular economy".
By 2029, member states are expected to ensure the separate collection of at least 90 per cent of single-use plastic bottles and metal drinks containers annually, paving the way for expanded deposit-and-return systems, which has been unsuccessful in the Republic of Ireland, with 66.7 million euros of recycling deposits returned to the government after being unclaimed by citizens in 2024. The packaging sector is already worth around €370 billion in turnover, according to the European Council.
