2025 will mark a before and after in the panorama of the use and management of packaging, the new regulations not only establish new rules for producers and consumers, but will also lay the foundations for a more circular economy model, where reduction, the reuse and recycling of packaging become essential pillars. According to European Union estimates, packaging represents approximately 40% of the total plastic waste generated on the continent. Faced with this, the objective is clear: all packaging placed on the European market in 2030 will be recyclable and, to the extent possible, reusable, considering its entire life cycle.
All of this represents a great challenge for both the waste management industry and consumers, who will have to adapt to new dynamics of waste separation and collection.
One of the great novelties of Royal Decree 1055/2022 is the decisive promotion of reusable packaging, both in the domestic and commercial spheres. Starting in 2025, all hospitality and restaurant businesses will be required to offer the option of consuming in reusable containers or to refill containers brought by customers themselves. This will be mandatory for both small establishments and large chains, with the aim of significantly reducing the volume of waste generated by single-use packaging.
Furthermore, in the industrial and logistics field, the use of reusable packaging for the transport of goods will be encouraged, and the excessive use of non-recyclable packaging will be penalized. A measure that seeks to reduce the consumption of natural resources and carbon emissions associated with the production of disposable packaging. , companies that use industrial and commercial containers and packaging to transport and sell their goods in the Spanish market will be responsible for their financing and management, which can be made of any material and type, whether single-use or reusable.
However, the transition towards a more sustainable model will not be without challenges. The packaging industry, especially in sectors such as food and logistics, will have to make significant investments in innovation to adapt its production processes to new regulatory requirements. This includes the development of new, more sustainable and easy-to-recycle materials, as well as the adoption of more efficient waste management systems.
To help and accompany the producer, at this time the collective systems (SCRAP) are working to facilitate the transition and compliance with these obligations.
All of these issues will be discussed by the experts who, on October 9, will meet at the ABC Future Packaging Forum, and which will include Isabel Goyena, director of ENVALORA; Julio Lequerica, Sustainability Transformation Manager of Tetra Pak Iberia and Miguel Aguado Arnáez, managing partner of B Leaf, professor of Climate Change and Health at the European University of Madrid.
All of them will put on the table the innovative initiatives and future bets they have in place to comply with the new regulation and provide a solution to the current generation of more than 84 million tons of packaging waste per year.
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