EU adopts new rules on use of recycled plastics in food packaging

The European Commission has adopted new safety rules allowing for recycled plastics to be used in food packaging in the EU.

The Commission says the new Regulation will contribute to increasing the overall sustainability of the food system and achieving the objectives of its 'Circular Economy Action Plan'.

Read more: What to know about the EU's single-use plastics ban

"To lower our dependency on primary raw materials and build a fully circular economy, we need to boost the market for recycled plastics and significantly reduce plastic waste in the food sector and beyond," said EC vice-president Frans Timmerman. 

"Plastics are useful to preserve food, but their use has to be sustainable. Today's new rules enable food manufacturers to use more recycled plastics in food packaging. This is an important step towards safe and sustainable use of recycled plastics in the food sector."

The aim of the new Regulation is to authorise recycling processes for manufacturing safe recycled plastic materials for use in food packaging. It also looks toi help the recycling industry establish suitable ways for recycling plastics that presently cannot be recycled into food packaging.

In addition, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has said it will have a better basis to evaluate the suitability of recycling technologies and the safety of recycled plastic in food packaging manufactured using these technologies.

Read more: What was on the EU's most unsafe products list in 2021? 

The Regulation will allow granting individual authorisations for more than 200 mechanical PET (polyethylene terephthalate) recycling processes, which will help the industry to meet the binding 2025 target of 25% recycled plastic in PET beverage bottles. 

A public register of recycling processes, recyclers, and recycling installations under its scope will also be established, providing an increased level of transparency.

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