Since the recent proposal for a Directive on single-use plastics, the industry seeks more clarity on the definition of such products.

“The debate on single-use plastics may become a debate on single-use products.”

Laetitia Reynaud, Policy Advisor at Intergraf

In May 2018, the European Commission issued a proposal for a Directive on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment (so-called single-use plastics or SUP Directive).

The proposed measures range from awareness-raising measures to consumption reduction and market restrictions for certain products. Food containers are among the products to which consumption reduction would be applied. Member States would be required to take necessary measures at national level, i.e. reduction targets, making reusable alternatives available, economic instruments, to reduce consumption of these products. Intergraf is among the 74 signatories of an industry statement from the packaging value chain to avoid making litter cleaning-up the sole responsibility of producers and to secure legal certainty when it comes to packaging waste as there is already a Directive on packaging waste.

The paper and board industries are also concerned about the definition of a “single-use plastic product”. The proposed wording by the European Commission defines it as “a product that is made wholly or partly from plastics”, which would include laminated paper and board food packaging products.

Contact: Laetitia Reynaud

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