{"id":8774,"date":"2025-04-28T10:58:59","date_gmt":"2025-04-28T07:58:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/?p=8774"},"modified":"2025-06-12T12:22:59","modified_gmt":"2025-06-12T09:22:59","slug":"new-eu-rules-to-reduce-plastic-pellet-pollution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/new-eu-rules-to-reduce-plastic-pellet-pollution\/","title":{"rendered":"New EU Rules Aim to Reduce Plastic Pellet Pollution"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Plastic pellets \u2014 tiny raw materials used in plastic production \u2014 are among the main sources of microplastic pollution. The European Union has taken a major step to tackle this issue through a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.consilium.europa.eu\/en\/press\/press-releases\/2025\/04\/08\/plastic-pellet-losses-council-and-parliament-agree-on-new-rules-to-reduce-microplastic-pollution\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">provisional agreement<\/a> between the Council and the European Parliament. The goal is to minimize pellet losses throughout the supply chain and reduce environmental impact, both on land and at sea.<\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 ez-toc-wrap-center counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title ez-toc-toggle\" style=\"cursor:pointer\">TABLE OF CONTENTS<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/new-eu-rules-to-reduce-plastic-pellet-pollution\/#Microplastics_Everywhere_%E2%80%93_Why_Action_Is_Urgent\" >Microplastics Everywhere \u2013 Why Action Is Urgent<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/new-eu-rules-to-reduce-plastic-pellet-pollution\/#Main_Objective_Preventing_Pellet_Losses\" >Main Objective: Preventing Pellet Losses<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/new-eu-rules-to-reduce-plastic-pellet-pollution\/#Balancing_Environmental_Protection_with_Compliance_Ease\" >Balancing Environmental Protection with Compliance Ease<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/new-eu-rules-to-reduce-plastic-pellet-pollution\/#What_Comes_Next\" >What Comes Next<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/new-eu-rules-to-reduce-plastic-pellet-pollution\/#Conclusion\" >Conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Microplastics_Everywhere_%E2%80%93_Why_Action_Is_Urgent\"><\/span><strong>Microplastics Everywhere \u2013 Why Action Is Urgent<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Microplastics are found across multiple ecosystems; <strong>in oceans, seas, and even in the food we eat.<\/strong> Every year, an amount of plastic pellets equivalent to the load of <strong>7.3 thousand trucks<\/strong>, ends up in nature. Until now, the EU lacked specific legislation to address pellet losses, allowing this form of pollution to continue thriving without any supervision.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Main_Objective_Preventing_Pellet_Losses\"><\/span><strong>Main Objective: Preventing Pellet Losses<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The new rules focus on preventing <strong>pellet leaks<\/strong> as a primary obligation for operators and transporters \u2014 both within and outside the EU. Every facility handling pellets will be required to have a <strong>risk management plan<\/strong> covering procedures like packaging, loading, staff training, and cleanup. Third-country transporters will also need to appoint a <strong>representative<\/strong> within the EU to ensure transparency and accountability.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-8775\" src=\"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/white-polymer-resin-plastic-pellets-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/white-polymer-resin-plastic-pellets-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/white-polymer-resin-plastic-pellets-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/white-polymer-resin-plastic-pellets-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/white-polymer-resin-plastic-pellets-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/white-polymer-resin-plastic-pellets-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Balancing_Environmental_Protection_with_Compliance_Ease\"><\/span><strong>Balancing Environmental Protection with Compliance Ease<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">To avoid overburdening smaller businesses, the rules introduce a multilevel approach. Companies handling <strong>over 1,500 tonnes<\/strong> of pellets annually will need <strong>third-party certification<\/strong>. Smaller operators will face lighter obligations \u2014 such as a <strong>one-time certification<\/strong> within five years of the rules taking effect. Micro-enterprises handling <strong>less than 1,500 tons<\/strong> will simply need to file a declaration of compliance (DoC).<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Comes_Next\"><\/span><strong>What Comes Next<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The provisional agreement now awaits formal approval by both the Council and the European Parliament. Once adopted and published in the EU Official Journal, the regulation will come into force two years later. Maritime transport rules will apply one year after that to allow for proper adaptation.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">With this new regulation, the EU is making a clear move to cut microplastic pollution at its source. By targeting plastic pellet losses through structured risk management and fair compliance rules, the Union is aligning environmental responsibility with practical business considerations. It&#8217;s a significant milestone towards cleaner ecosystems and a more sustainable future.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Plastic pellets \u2014 tiny raw materials used in plastic production \u2014 are among the main sources of microplastic pollution. The European Union has taken a major step to tackle this issue through a provisional agreement between the Council and the European Parliament. The goal is to minimize pellet losses throughout the supply chain and reduce&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":8775,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28,540],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8774","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-en","category-regulations-policy-en","category-28","category-540","description-off"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8774","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8774"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8774\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8779,"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8774\/revisions\/8779"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8775"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8774"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8774"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8774"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}