30 Dec. 2023: The Parliament has recognised that the established system of recycling paper, cardboard and cartonboard offers ecological advantages and should be regarded as equivalent to reusable packaging. According to the two associations, it is now important for the Council of Ministers to take this landmark decision by the European Parliament into account when making its decision.
With the PPWR, the EU wants to reduce the amount of packaging in Europe and strengthen the circular economy, among other things. The EU Commission's first proposal envisaged prioritising reusable packaging by introducing rigid quota regulations.
The EU Parliament has now taken a different approach and spoken out in favour of protecting existing, well-functioning recycling systems. According to the paper and corrugated board industry, this approach will allow the potential of fibre-based packaging to be exploited in the future in the interests of the circular economy.