Europe will ban single-use plastics in restaurants – 03/04/2024 – Environment

The European Union will ban single-use plastic packaging in cafes and restaurants from 2030 onwards. Paper ones, however, will remain permitted. The decision was agreed between MEPs and member countries this Monday (4), as part of the European bloc’s Green Pact.

After tough negotiations, MEPs agreed to set the target of a 5% reduction by 2030 in the total volume of plastic packaging waste in the European Union. The target will then increase to 10% by 2035 and 15% by 2040.

All packaging in member countries must be recyclable from 2030 and will have to be recycled effectively by 2035, to boost a circular economy, according to a statement.

This agreement must be formally confirmed by the 27 EU countries and the European Parliament in plenary before it comes into force.

The most important measure is the ban in 2030 on single-use plastics in restaurants for food and drinks consumed on site. Paper and cardboard containers will continue to be authorized.

From the same date, single-use plastic packaging such as miniature shampoo bottles in hotels, small doses of sauces, protective film for suitcases in airports, fruit and vegetable trays, among others, are also prohibited from the same date.

When considering that recycling is not enough, the legislation sets mandatory levels of packaging reuse for various sectors — such as e-commerce, household appliances, beverages — until 2030.

The wine sector and micro-enterprises are left out of these measures.

In the field of restaurants, there were strong debates driven by the large fast food chain sector and the paper industry. They defended the “ecological” merits of cardboard packaging, which is recyclable or comes from sustainable forests, compared to plastic or reuse, which, according to them, require more water and energy.

In the end, restaurants will just have to “strive” to reach the 10% reusable packaging level, but they will have to accept containers brought in by customers.

From 2026 onwards, the legislation prohibits the intentional addition of food packaging with polyfluorinated substances (known as PFAS, the “eternal chemicals”), widely present, for example, in pizza boxes, despite scientific warnings about their harmful nature.