New EU Regulations - Food & Drink Packaging

[Carl]

Progressive phased implementation over many years.

https://www.elconstitucional.es/es/ecm/ ... 2_102.html

Google translate:

What changes to the packaging from August 12th and why you won't yet pay 10 cents more for each drink

The major European reform opens a progressive timetable that will affect recycling, labelling, takeaway food, single-serving portions and unnecessary packaging.

Ordering a soft drink at a bar or buying a pack of cans at the supermarket will no longer cost ten cents more per container starting this Wednesday. The new European regulations come into effect on August 12, but that date does not automatically trigger any deposit for beverages in Spain.

Over the past few weeks, several reports have claimed that bars, restaurants, and shops will have to charge a ten-cent deposit for each can, plastic bottle, or carton up to three liters starting this Wednesday. The immediate removal of sugar packets, oil, and sauces from the market has also been announced. Neither of these measures will take effect on August 12th.

The confusion arises from mixing up several timelines within the same date. The European Regulation on packaging and packaging waste entered into force on February 11, 2025, and will be generally applicable from this Wednesday in the 27 countries of the European Union. However, many of its everyday changes will be phased in gradually until 2030 and beyond.

The 10 cents belong to another calendar

European regulations require countries to implement deposit-refund systems to achieve separate collection of 90% of plastic bottles and beverage cans up to three liters by 2029. The European regulation does not set a ten-cent deposit fee nor mandate its implementation after August 12, 2026.

The text even allows hospitality establishments to be exempt from transferring the deposit to the customer when they open the drink, it is consumed inside the premises and the empty container remains there for its return.

Spain also has its own process underway. The Ministry for Ecological Transition found that in 2023 only 41.3% of single-use plastic bottles were collected separately, far from the national target of 70%. This result led to the activation of the Deposit, Return and Refund System established in Royal Decree 1055/2022 .

Spanish regulations include plastic bottles, cans, and cartons for beverages. The deposit will be set by the managing systems and will have a minimum amount of ten cents. The consumer will pay it when purchasing the beverage and will receive a full refund when returning the empty container to one of the designated collection points.

The official report confirming the non-compliance was published on November 22, 2024, and opened a two-year period for implementing the system. The legal deadline is therefore November 2026, pending its final rollout. The charge will not appear on receipts this Wednesday due to the application of the European regulation.

What starts to change this August 12th

The immediate changes primarily affect businesses. Manufacturers, importers, and distributors will need to review their obligations, demonstrate compliance with European requirements, and retain the corresponding technical documentation. The new regulation also modifies who qualifies as a producer and, therefore, who is responsible for registering and declaring packaging sold in Spain.

Starting this Wednesday, the sale of food contact packaging that exceeds permitted limits for PFAS, known as permanent chemicals due to their resistance to degradation, will also be restricted. This measure may affect certain paper cups, food boxes, and containers that use coatings to repel water and grease.

The European regulation will be directly applicable. The current Spanish Royal Decree will remain in force insofar as it is compatible, while the Government completes the adaptation of national legislation. When both sets of regulations establish different solutions on the same issue, the European regulation will prevail .

The most visible changes will come in stages. Starting in February 2027, establishments selling takeaway food or drinks will be required to allow customers to use their own containers. By 2028, they will also have to offer a reusable alternative, with exceptions for micro-enterprises.

The ban on single-serving plastic containers in the hospitality sector will begin on January 1, 2030. It will affect individual containers of sugar, sauces, dressings, preserves, or milk for coffee, although exceptions will be maintained for takeaway food and for healthcare centers or residences where they are necessary for hygiene reasons.

That same year, restrictions will be placed on plastic packaging for fresh fruits and vegetables weighing less than 1.5 kilos , certain hotel hygiene products, and various disposable formats used in bars and restaurants. More stringent targets for recyclability, recycled content, reuse, and reducing empty space in packaging will also come into effect.

This Wednesday the new European framework will come into effect, and companies will have to adapt their packaging. The ten cents will remain off the receipt until Spain implements its own refund system.