A new EU Implementing Decision for the application of Directive (EC) 2019/904, regarding single-use plastic bottles, has been announced. This Decision introduces important notes on plastic bottles which consist of recycled plastic deriving from countries outside of Europe, along with new definitions for the recycling of plastics.
EU Commission Implementing Decision for Plastic Bottles
Recently, the Association of the Greek Manufacturers of Packaging & Materials (AGMPM) shared news about the Commission Implementing Decision (EC) 2023/2683, that was published on the 30th of November 2023 and took effect on the 4th of December. This Decision (EU) lays down rules for the application of Directive (EC) 2019/904 and guidelines for calculating, verifying and reporting data on recycled plastic content. This is particularly important for bottles made from PET material.
EU on Recycled Plastic Imports
According to the definition of this Implementing Decision, one of the most important notes is that the importation of recycled plastic (specifically rPET) that is not derived from EU product waste will not contribute to the national targets for recycling and cannot be classified as recycled plastic under EU legislation. As a result, bottling companies are prohibited from labeling bottles as being made from recycled plastic, if that plastic was manufactured outside the EU.
Additionally, the Decision states that beverages, water, and soft drinks that are bottled outside of Europe cannot bear the claim of recycled content and cannot be marketed in the EU.
The New Definitions given by EC
In order to calculate and verify recycled plastic content in plastic beverage bottles, the following terms were defined in the Commission Implementing Decision.
- Post-consumer plastic waste: “waste, that is plastic and has been generated from plastic products that have been placed on the market.”
- recycled plastic: “plastic which was post-consumer plastic waste before recycling and which has been produced by recycling”
As a result, plastic materials and waste that are produced during the manufacturing process before the product is placed on the shelves, should not be considered post-consumer waste.
New Amendment by March 2024
For the purpose of also taking into consideration recycled plastic in beverage bottles that has not been obtained by mechanical recycling of PET waste (such as chemical recycling), the Commission plans to draft an amendment of the Decision by March 31st of 2024.
The aforementioned amendment shall include a methodology to calculate, verify and report recycled plastic content in beverage bottles derived from alternative recycling procedures (e.g. chemical recycling).
25% of Recycled Plastic in PET Bottles by 2025
Decision 2023/2686 is a further step towards the implementation of Directive 2019/904, which states that beverage bottles that are made from polyethylene terephthalate as a base material of production (“PET bottles”) in the EU should contain a minimum of twenty-five per cent (25 %) recycled plastic as of 2025 and at least thirty per cent (30 %) recycled plastics by 2030, calculated as an average for all PET bottles placed on the market and applied to each individual producer.
Conclusion
With the aforementioned Decision 2023/2683, European Commission aims to minimize the use of imported plastic materials from third countries in the recycling process of PET bottles and increase the safety of recycled plastic material that is used for the manufacturing of beverage bottles. In addition, by laying down rules for the application of Directive 2019/904 in the form of the Implementing Decision, the European Union is one step closer to meeting its recycling targets that were set by 2025 and 2030 accordingly.
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