Environment and sustainability – August 2025
Rules and regulations – Global, EU and US
UNEP reports that INC-5.2 has ended without consensus on the Global Plastics Treaty. Ahead of the meeting, Boston College published The Lancet Countdown on Health and Plastics (2.23 MB) and QUNO published a Eunomia report (970 kB) on the effects of removing plastic production subsidies. EU: The EP has announced that the EC is intending to withdraw the draft Green Claims Directive on substantiating environmental claims. The EC has launched a consultation for the upcoming Circular Economy Act that includes simplifying EPR schemes. EPR is also part of consultation by the EC on simplifying environmental legislation. The EC also launched a consultation on rules for (chemically) recycled content in SUP beverage bottles. Both RecyClass and the Food and Beverage Carton Alliance have updated their Design for Recycling Guidelines and EPBP has launched a test protocol (315 kB) for PET bottle circularity. In the EC proposal for the EU budget 2028-2034, the rate for non-recycled plastic packaging waste will be raised to €1/kg and be adjusted annually to inflation. The Council has adopted its position on simplifying corporate sustainability reporting (CSRD) and the EC has adopted “quick fix” amendments. The EC also adopted a voluntary reporting standard for SMEs. A report (3.36 MB) by EuPC shows the economic effects of mandatory reuse for pallet wrap and straps (Article 29 of the PPWR). The EP has voted in favour of a Motion for a Resolution disputing the Implementing Regulation that classifies countries according to their risk under the Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). Both CEPI and FEFCO have published EUDR guidance documents. US: FPF has published updates on environmental regulations in a number of states. California: New draft regulations (1.12 MB) to implement SB 54 on EPR has been published. Hawaii: HB750 requiring a statewide assessment on EPR has been signed into law. Maine: Keller and Heckman reports that LD 1423, updating the EPR requirements, has been enacted. New York: The Assembly has not passed A01749 on EPR. Oregon: CAA has launched the EPR program and RecycleOn has launched a statewide recycling system. Rhode Island: H6207 and S996 on EPR and DRS have been signed into law.
Rules and regulations in the different countries
Australia: APCO has decided to pause the introduction of the EPR fee model for FY27. Austria: Draft legislation classifying household and commercial packaging has been sent to the EC. Finland: Draft legislation implementing the EU Waste Shipment Regulation has been sent to the EC. France: The EC is referring France to the Court of Justice because of its mandatory sorting labels (Triman and infotri). India: Keller and Heckman reports that MoEFCC is proposing (1.94 MB) mandatory recycled content for plastic FCMs. Malaysia: The government (301 kB) has announced that imported plastic waste must originate from countries that have signed and ratified the Basel Convention. NL all info is in Dutch unless stated otherwise: NVRD, VNG and Verpact have reached an agreement on the Packaging Chain Agreement. The State Secretary has sent a letter with reports to the Dutch House on the spring decision not to implement the NCPN (minimum amount of recycled plastic). Verpact reports that the final report (2.14 MB) of the Plastic Table has been sent to the House. The State Secretary answered questions about the report. Measures include more tariff differentiation. CE Delft (in English, co-financed by Verpact) has studied (554 kB) the effects of Verpact’s current tariff differentiation. KCR reports that as of 1 January 2026, coffee capsules may be disposed of with PMD waste. Switzerland: The Bundesrat (in German) has opened consultations (in German) on various amendments to ordinances related to packaging including EPR. UK: PackUK has released several publications on EPR, including the 2025 base fees. Scotland: The charge for single-use cups will not be implemented in 2025. Wales: The government has launched a consultation on the DRS that includes reuse. According to Q&A, the DRS is now planned for October 2027, aligning it with the other UK schemes.
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