New EU regulatory framework aimed at reducing environmental impact of packaging and packaging waste is published
Regulation (EU) 2025/40, which was published on 22 January 2025, establishes new requirements for packaging and packaging waste in the European Union, amending and repealing previous regulations. The aim is to harmonize regulations across Member States and enhance the internal market. In Spain, Royal Decree 1055/2022 had already anticipated some of these measures.
The Regulation’s main objectives include:
- Preventing, reusing, and reducing waste.
- Promoting of the circular economy.
- Increasing the amount of recycled material in plastic packaging.
- Harmonizing labelling across the EU.
It also introduces new measures such as reducing unnecessary packaging, encouraging the use of reusable packaging, implementing mandatory deposit and return systems for certain types of packaging, and setting design requirements to ensure all packaging is recyclable by 2030.
Additionally, it reinforces the principle of extended producer responsibility, impacting both packaged products and packaging marketed for the first time within the EU.
This Regulation will come into force on 11 February 2025 and will be applicable from 12 August 2026.