Since January 1, domestic packaging must indicate the container where it should be placed for recycling, as established by Royal Decree 1055/2022 on Packaging and Packaging Waste.
Likewise, it must be indicated whether the packaging is reusable and include the symbols accrediting membership in the extended producer responsibility system. In the case of containers made of different materials, if they can be easily separated, the fraction or container where they should be deposited must be indicated.
When the materials cannot be separated easily, or in the case of composite containers, the fraction or container corresponding to the predominant material by weight must be indicated, unless it is demonstrated that there is a better collection alternative that would avoid possible incidents in the subsequent process. recycling, indicating in this case the container in which it should be deposited.
Also, with the new year, the marking of packaging with the words ‘environmentally friendly’, or any other equivalent that could lead to its abandonment in the environment, has been prohibited.
The exponential rise of e-commerce and rising consumer expectations for choice and rapid fulfillment have accelerated the rise of municipal waste, which by 2050 is estimated to grow to 3.40 billion tons globally. And today, although 80% of items currently disposed of in landfills are recyclable, only 20% of this content is actually recycled.
To help consumers make recycling decisions, containers can be marked with the percentage of packaging material, including its components, with an evaluation audited and certified by entities other than packaging manufacturers and producers. This percentage must be reviewed at least every five years.
Failure to comply with the extended responsibility obligations by individual systems may lead to the initiation of sanctioning procedures by the corresponding autonomous community, which may suspend the activity of the individual system in its territory.
In the case of compostable plastic containers, the labeling must inform that the container is certified according to the European standard UNE EN 13432:2001 Containers and packaging. Those containers that are compostable in domestic or industrial composting will bear the indication not to abandon them in the environment.
Some types of single-use plastic packaging will be banned from January 1, 2030. These include packaging for unprocessed fresh fruits and vegetables, food and beverages served and consumed in cafes and restaurants, individual portions, small containers of personal hygiene products and plastic bags of less than fifteen microns.
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