A number of initiatives have been put forth by the European Commission to cut back on pointless and wasteful packaging. By 2040, these goals include a 15% decrease in packaging that is unnecessary. According to the EU executive, making packaging entirely recyclable by 2030 is another important goal.
According to the Commission, the average European generates 180 kilogrammes of packaging trash annually, as reported by the Xinhua news agency. It has since suggested prohibiting particular kinds of single-use containers for food and drinks served in restaurants, as well as containers for fresh produce and amenities used in hotels.
Frans Timmermans, executive vice president of the European Commission, remarked at a news conference that packaging products can and could be done a lot better. He believes that everyone has encountered this scenario: one orders something online, and it arrives in a huge package that is either mostly empty or has additional layers to make the item appear larger than it is.
Or one goes to a cafe and the food is served in single-use containers rather than on conventional plates, leaving a pile of garbage behind. Such excessive packing annoys users and endangers the environment even more, he said. Clear labelling for reusable containers, the prohibition of certain containers, mandatory return programmes for plastic bottles and aluminium cans, and increased mandatory percentages of recycled material in new plastic packaging are just a few of the proposed actions.
According to Timmermans, most coffees-to-go by 2040 would be served in reusable cups or cups that customers bring themselves. EU Commissioner for the environment, oceans, and fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevicius, stated that for the first time, they are introducing goals for package waste reduction for member countries, and compulsory reuse targets for chosen packaging categories and for economic operators.