EU to unify SUPD and PPWR with broader definition of ‘recycling’ – Europe

Posted on June 14, 2025 by DrRossH in Plastic Recycling

The European Union has two major policies concerning single-use plastic beverage bottles: the Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUPD) and the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (PPWR).The SUPD entered into force in July 2021; the PPWR became law in February 2025.The SUPD sets recycled…

Source: EU to unify SUPD and PPWR with broader definition of ‘recycling’ | Sustainable Plastics

The Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/2683 of November 2023 implements rules for the application of the SUPD. According to that act, the 25% target for PET ‘can only be achieved using post-consumer plastic waste generated from plastic products that have been placed in the EU market,’ a spokesperson for the European Commission told Sustainable Plastics. That confirms that plastic waste from outside the EU cannot currently count towards SUPD targets.

The PPWR, on the other hand, allows for post-consumer plastic waste from outside the EU to count towards its targets, under some conditions.