44 / EU DIRECTIVE UPDATE
Plastics under fire This summer, EU rules governing single-use plastics changed dramatically. Our Get Onboard Now! campaign PLANET Action Group asked sustainability expert, Roel Vink, of Now New Next, to explain exactly what it means for global caterers…
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n July 3 2021 the European Union Single-Use Plastic (SUP) Directive came into force - a package of measures adopted by the European Commission to reduce the amount of single-use plastic ending up in the environment. It covers the production and sale of plastic products and all packaging designed for single-use and has a large impact foodservice businesses, including onboard catering, within and to EU states.
The motivation
Around half of all litter in the sea and on our beaches comprises SUP products and packaging and without change, this will only increase. Convenience is a major driver in the foodservice and packaging sectors and convenience products tend to use more SUPS and packaging.
The regulations
The SUP directive is specifically aimed at food packaging and disposables that are used outside the home (packaging used at home rarely ends up in the environment). It also covers fishing
gear, hygiene products, cigarettes and balloons. The directive includes multiple regulations, and each regulation has different implications and timings. This means that not all requirements have to be met immediately, giving room to focus on the ones that are effective as of July.
SUP definitions
Before diving into the different regulations, it is good to know the official SUP definition: “A product that is made wholly or partly from plastic and that is not conceived, designed or placed on the market to accomplish, within its lifespan, multiple trips or rotations by being returned to a producer for refill or re-used for the same purpose for which it was conceived.” That means not only products made from 100% plastic but also products made from biobased and/or biodegradable plastics, for example, products made from PLA and PHA. Only natural polymers, that have not been chemically modified, are out of the directive’s scope, for example, non-modified cellulose-based materials. Products made from other materials that have
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