Three green Danish organizations have closely followed the political processes surrounding the EU's packaging legislation. Disposable packaging is a huge climate and environmental problem that should be addressed.

The Commission has now presented a new proposal for a packaging regulation, but according to the organizations Plastic Change, Danmarks Naturfredningsforening and the Council for Green Change, in its first draft, which was previously leaked, the Commission had listened much more to precisely the environmental movements. In the previous text, a strong signal was sent that EU member states must abandon the use-and-throw-away culture and replace the large consumption of single-use packaging with reusable packaging solutions. It met with great opposition from the industry, and in the final draft the ambitions, probably due to pressure from themselves, have been significantly toned down. This arouses criticism from the green organisations: 

The way we use disposable packaging today is completely unsustainable. It is positive that the EU Commission will now push the development forward by setting targets for how much takeaway and transport packaging must be recyclable, but it is a shame that they are succumbing to industry pressure and lowering the level of ambition on the specific targets. In addition, one should focus on more sectors than planned, says Malene Høj Mortensen, Public Affairs advisor at Plastic Change.

Other sectors with untapped potential for recycling systems include food packaging in the grocery trade as well as packaging for household products, cosmetics and hygiene. Therefore, the recycling targets should also include these categories. However, the organizations emphasize that it is positive that the proposal contains a ban on so-called unnecessary packaging such as single-use plastic for fruit and vegetables and serving in single-use dishes when eating and drinking on the premises.  

Ambitions must be raised again 

The green organizations hope that the level of ambition can be raised in the upcoming negotiations in the Council and Parliament. Earlier this year, Denmark was among the countries that sent a letter to the EU Commission calling for an ambitious packaging regulation with a focus on recycling. Therefore, there is a justified expectation that Denmark, together with the other countries, will push to raise the level of ambition. 

At the same time, the organizations point out that the Danish politicians must put on their work clothes and take the transition from single-use packaging to recycling seriously at home. Other countries, with which we usually compare ourselves, have already set a number of legislative requirements that should help the transition along the way. For example, after the New Year, all restaurants and cafes in Germany must offer a reusable alternative to the disposable packaging when you buy takeaway. But in Denmark we still have the benefit of seeing similar political initiatives and efforts from Christiansborg.  

Danish politicians should work for the level of ambition to be raised again and at the same time take the transition seriously at home, because right now the political ambitions in Denmark are lagging behind greatly in terms of promoting recycling systems. For example, we lack a vision of a national return system for takeaway packaging, says Mette Hoffgaard Ranfelt, Chief Environmental Policy Adviser at Denmark's Nature Conservation Association  

We must also reduce our overall consumption  

The green organizations also emphasize that it is also crucial that packaging consumption is generally reduced. The Commission proposes that the member states must reduce their packaging waste per capita by 5 percent in 2030, rising to 15 percent in 2040.  

It is good that reduction targets are now being set, but here the ambitions also lag. We ourselves have proposed that packaging waste must be reduced by 25% in 2025 and 50% in 2030. We have an enormous overconsumption of packaging, and it is absolutely crucial that we reduce consumption. We simply cannot continue to use as we do today, says Lone Mikkelsen, senior advisor at the Green Transition Denmark.

Facts about the draft new packaging regulation:  

• On 30 November, the EU Commission presented their draft for a new packaging regulation, which will replace the packaging directive from 2018. The fact that the directive becomes a regulation means, among other things, that the legislation will have direct effect in the member states. 
  
• The Commission's draft for a packaging regulation contains initiatives to reduce packaging waste, promote recycling and refilling and make all packaging reusable by 2030. to promote recycling and refilling, the Commission proposes the following recycling targets:  
  – Takeaway beverage packaging: 20% in 2030 and 80% in 2040.  
  – Takeaway food packaging: 10% in 2030 and 40% in 2040.
  – Transport packaging (pallets, boxes, barrels): 30% in 2030 and 90% in 2040.  
• Transport packaging (non-food, e-commerce): 10% in 2030 and 50% in 2040.  

• The Commission proposes that packaging waste per inhabitant should decrease by 5% in 2030, 10% in 2035 and 15% in 2040.  
• According to the Commission's calculations, the proposal will create over 600.000 jobs in the recycling sector alone. The proposal will result in a drop in CO2 emissions from packaging to 43 million tonnes in 2030, compared to the 66 million tonnes that would otherwise have been emitted.   
• The Commission's draft is to be discussed in the Council and later in the European Parliament in the coming months.  
• The draft can be read here.

Facts about the packaging problem: 

• Increasing consumption of packaging in the EU, especially plastic packaging 

• EU: 25,8% increase in plastic packaging from 2009-2019. 
• DK: 30% increase in plastic packaging in the last calculated 5-year period 

• Approx. 40% of all plastic produced goes to packaging. 
• Almost 50% of all man-made waste in the world's oceans is plastic packaging for to-go food and drinks.  
• Plastic production is today the second largest consumer of oil and gas, and the share is set to increase significantly in the coming years. 
• If plastic were a country, it would be the 5th largest emitter of CO2.