The end of unnecessary plastic in food. Environmentalists welcome it, hoteliers flaunt hygiene

Packaging waste continues to grow. In 2021, the average European produced a total of 189 kilograms of packaging waste. In 2030, according to estimates, it could be up to 209 kilograms.

“In the last 10 years, the production of packaging in the EU has increased by 10 percent, in the Czech Republic even by 45 percent,” warns waste expert Hnutí Duha Ivo Kropáček. “It is therefore good news that the new European rules on packaging management set targets to reduce packaging production, promote reuse and reduce excessive and unnecessary packaging.”

The directive is very comprehensive. Under the new rules, packaging will have to be recyclable based on strict criteria. In order to save material, the directive sets the maximum proportion of empty space in the package at 50 percent.

Plastic packaging is a separate chapter. They increased by 27 percent between 2011 and 2021 alone. From the beginning of 2030, some of them should be banned completely, for example packaging for fresh vegetables and fruits. Or packaging for food and drinks that guests consume on site in a restaurant or hotel.

Hoteliers: It does not go together with hygiene requirements

It is for restaurateurs and hoteliers that limiting single-use packaging is a big challenge. Their representatives welcome the friendly step towards sustainability in this industry, but at the same time add that it is necessary to think about other requirements that entrepreneurs must comply with when setting the rules. Especially from the hygiene side.

“The ban on the use of these packaging can lead to solutions that do not meet the current strict hygiene standards,” said Václav Stárek, president of the Association of Hotels and Restaurants, when asked by the editors.

Examples are the small packages of butter or pepper and salt offered in hotels. In their current form, they ensure a sufficient level of safety and health safety for customers, Starek commented.

As of January 2027, new restaurant establishments will have to accept their own containers. From 2028, they will have to implement their own systems to reuse packaging. In 2030, their reuse should reach at least 10 percent, explained waste expert Kropáček.

According to Kropáček, strict demands are appropriate. But it is a question of how effective the new legislation will really be. It still has to be approved by national parliaments. And since the devil is in the detail, it will very much depend on the final form, which rules will get, for example, specifically in the Czech Republic.

But the directive does not only concern the reduction of total waste. An important part of it is the ban on the use of materials that can be dangerous for consumers. These mainly include materials containing the so-called indestructible chemical PFAS, which can cause serious health problems such as liver damage, cancer or infertility.

Necessary and feasible, according to MEPs

The regulation was passed in the European Parliament with the strong support of 476 votes in favor. Another 129 MPs were against and 24 abstained from voting. MEP and member of the European Parliament’s Committee for the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Alexandr Vondra (ODS, ECR) was also among those who raised their hands for approval.

“I voted for the final form of the proposal. It was possible to smooth out some questionable places and problematic passages,” commented Vondra to the editors. “It is true that there is a ban on single-use plastic packaging for fruit and vegetables from 2030, but we have managed to avoid an immediate ban that would only cause chaos and push for important exemptions,” he described.

According to him, there was also an improvement compared to the original form of the draft directive in backup and take-back, and it was possible to avoid a complete ban on all single-use packaging. “By the circumstances of this legislative period, it is a balanced and feasible directive,” he added.

“I consider this legislation necessary and beneficial,” said Luděk Niedermayer (TOP 09), MEP for the People’s Party, when asked by the editors. “In fact, packaging represents a fundamental problem from the point of view of the environment.” In the EU alone, the production of packaging accounts for 40 percent of the total consumption of plastics and 50 percent of the total consumption of paper, the MEP described.

“Given that the commission consulted widely with stakeholders and drew on a range of data and information when preparing this legislation, I am confident that this 2018 update to the packaging legal framework will contribute to reducing waste and promoting high-quality recycling,” he added.