Environment and sustainability – January 2026
EU rules and regulations
Following adoption by the Council, the revision of the Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) was published, giving companies an extra year to comply. The EP has approved the provisional agreement with the Council on simplified sustainability reporting (CSRD) and due diligence (CSDDD). Part of the eighth omnibus proposal published by the EC is that companies no longer need to appoint an authorised representative in every Member State for their EPR obligations. A coalition led by Ecommerce Europe is working on digital EU-wide One-Stop Shop for EPR (122 kB). Regarding the PPWR, the EC has published draft legislation on exempting plastic wrappings and straps from the reuse obligations, EFSA has opened a call for data on phasing out SUPs for less than 1.5 kg fresh fruit and veg and JRC has published a technical proposal (10.99 MB) on the waste sorting labels. JRC has also published a report (3.19 MB) on the future Ecodesign Regulation (ESPR) label and the interaction with other labels and the Digital Product Passport (DPP). The EC has unveiled a new circularity plastics package (250 kB). Q&A can be found here. Part of the package intended to support EU plastic recyclers, is draft legislation creating EU-wide end-of-waste criteria for plastics under the Waste Framework Directive. The EC has also launched a public consultation to evaluate the SUPD. Regulation (EU) 2025/2365 on preventing the loss of plastic pellets to the environment has been published. The EC has adopted a Strategic Framework for a Competitive and Sustainable EU Bioeconomy. RecyClass has updated its Recyclability Evaluation Protocol for Labels & Adhesives applied on PET bottles and EPBP has launched a consultation on Design for Circularity guidelines for PET bottles. Eurostat data show that 12.2% of materials came from recycled materials in 2024, a 0.1% increase from 2023. A report (7.01 MB) by ECA shows that many EU countries struggle to meet the targets for reusing and recycling municipal waste. Meeting the 2030 goals of the 8th Environment Action Programme is challenging according to a report (12.57 MB) by EEA.
Rules and regulations in various countries
Belgium: Draft legislation on a Cooperation Agreement on EPR for the entire territory of Belgium has been sent to the EC. NL all info is in Dutch unless stated otherwise: The government has announced simplification of the SUP obligations for food cups and containers. The Circular Materials Plan CMP (in English) succeeding LAP3 has been published. The CMP website can be found here. Verpact has published the financial report 2024 (746 kB) and an explainer (113 kB) showing that €139 million worth of deposit was not claimed by consumers. Verpact has also submitted a “Total Approach to Deposit” (1.25 MB) to State Secretary Aartsen. On this basis, the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) will adjust the previously imposed charge under penalty. The order should have led to an increase in deposit fees or a return bonus. RVO (in English) has published the Environment List 2026 with investments for which you can apply for fiscal advantage (MIA/Vamil). The changes (in English) were sent to the EC. Poland: Draft legislation on the collection of drinks packaging has been sent to the EC. UK: PackUK has published additional information on the Recyclability Assessment Methodology (RAM) and the estimated EPR fees as of June 2026. In November 2025, the government presented the Budget 2025. It includes allowing for a mass balance approach to be used to attribute chemically recycled plastic for the purposes of the Plastic Packaging Tax from 1 April 2027. Wales: The government has launched a process to appoint a Deposit Management Organisation (DMO) for the DRS for drink containers from 2027. US: Rep. Randy Weber has introduced the Packaging and Claims Knowledge (PACK) Act of 2025 to put an end to misleading “green” labels. A report (13.46 MB) from Greenpeace USA shows that only a fifth of the 8.8 million tons of the most commonly produced types of plastics is actually recyclable.
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