EU Single Use Plastics Directive FAQs
- What are single-use plastic products (SUPs)?
- What is the intention of the EU Single Use Plastics Directive?
- When did The Directive come into effect?
- What is the date that it needs to be implemented by?
- What items are in scope?
- Does it apply to items made of expanded polystyrene?
- What are oxo-degradable plastics?
- What about other single-use plastic products?
- What are consumption reduction measures?
- What is the consumption reduction target?
- Are there separate collection and design requirements for plastic bottles?
- What are the marking requirements?
- Are there any requirements for member states to implement an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme?
- What are the transposition dates for EPR?
- What is the awareness raising measures?
- Are there any product requirements?
- Are there any EU harmonised standards to help implement this?
- Are there any recycled content targets?
- How are member states going to achieve this?
What are single-use plastic products (SUPs)?
Single-use plastic products (SUPs) are used once, or for a short period of time, before being thrown away.
What is the intention of the EU Single Use Plastics Directive?
EU rules on single-use plastic products aim to prevent and reduce the impact of certain plastic products on the environment, in particular the marine environment, and on human health.
When did The Directive come into effect?
The Directive (EU 2019/904) on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment, was passed in June 2019 and came into force on 2 July 2021.
What is the date that it needs to be implemented by?
It has to become law in the EU countries by 3 July 2021. The market restrictions and marking of product rules apply from 3 July 2021, while the product design requirements for bottles apply from 3 July 2024. The Extended producer responsibility measures apply from 31 December 2024.
What items are in scope?
The 10 items being addressed by the Directive are
- Cotton bud sticks
- Cutlery, plates, straws and stirrers
- Balloons and sticks for balloons
- Food containers
- Cups for beverages
- Beverage containers
- Cigarette butts
- Plastic bags
- Packets and wrappers
- Wet wipes and sanitary items
Does it apply to items made of expanded polystyrene?
Yes, the directive will also apply to cups, food and beverage containers made of expanded polystyrene, and on all products made of oxo-degradable plastic.
What are oxo-degradable plastics?
Oxo-degradable plastics are made from traditional fossil feedstocks and are treated with additives that cause the breakdown of the polymer through oxidative degradation.
Oxo-degradable plastics have been subject to a market restriction prohibiting their commercialisation under the Single Use Plastics Directive of 2018 of the European Commission.
What about other single-use plastic products?
For other single-use plastic products, the EU is focusing on limiting their use through
- reducing consumption through awareness-raising measures
- introducing design requirements, such as a requirement to connect caps to bottles
- introducing labelling requirements, to inform consumers about the plastic content of products, disposal options that are to be avoided, and harm done to nature if the products are littered in the environment
- introducing waste management and clean-up obligations for producers, including Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes
What are consumption reduction measures?
- In line with the EU’s waste policy, EU countries are required to:
- take measures to reduce the consumption of certain single-use plastics for which there is no alternative (drinking cups including covers and lids, and containers of prepared food for immediate consumption);
- monitor consumption of these single-use products as well as the measures taken and report the progress made to the European Commission.
What is the consumption reduction target?
The directive requires an ambitious and sustained quantitative reduction in consumption of these products by 2026 (compared to a 2022 baseline).
For further information on article 4, please see the Directive (EU) 2019/904.
Are there separate collection and design requirements for plastic bottles?
The directive sets a collection target of 90% recycling for plastic bottles by 2029 (with an interim target of 77% by 2025).
These bottles should contain at least 25% recycled plastic in their manufacture by 2025 (for PET bottles), and 30% by 2030 (for all bottles).
What are the marking requirements?
Certain disposable plastic products placed on the market must carry a visible, clearly legible and indelible marking affixed to its packaging or to the product itself:
- sanitary items;
- wet wipes;
- tobacco products with filters; and
- drinking cups.
These labels should inform consumers about:
- appropriate waste management options for the product or what type of waste disposal should be avoided for the product; and
- the presence of plastics in the product as well as the negative environmental impact of littering.
For further information on article 7, please see the Directive (EU) 2019/904.
Are there any requirements for member states to implement an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme?
The directive incorporates the ‘polluter pays’ principle. Producers will have to cover the costs of:
- waste management clean-up;
- data-gathering; as well as
- awareness raising for the following products:
- food and beverage containers,
- bottles,
- cups,
- packets and wrappers,
- light-weight carrier bags, and
- tobacco products with filters.
For wet wipes and balloons, these obligations will apply with the exception of the collection costs.
What are the transposition dates for EPR?
It has to become law in the EU countries by 3 July 2021. The market restrictions and marking of product rules apply from 3 July 2021, while the product design requirements for bottles apply from 3 July 2024. The Extended producer responsibility measures apply from 31 December 2024.
Awareness raising measures
EU countries must also take measures to:
- make consumers aware of reusable alternative products and the impact of inappropriate disposal of single-use plastic waste on the sewage system.
What is the awareness raising measures?
Member States shall take measures to inform consumers and to incentivise responsible consumer behaviour, in order to reduce litter from products covered by this Directive and shall take measures to inform consumers of the single-use plastic products listed in Part G of the Annex and users of fishing gear containing plastic.
Awareness raising measures on single-use plastic products are covered by Article 10.
(1) Food containers, i.e., receptacles such as boxes, with or without a cover, used to contain food which:
(a) is intended for immediate consumption, either on-the-spot or take-away,
(b) is typically consumed from the receptacle, and
(c) is ready to be consumed without any further preparation, such as cooking, boiling or heating,
including food containers used for fast food or other meal ready for immediate consumption, except beverage containers, plates and packets and wrappers containing food;
(2) Packets and wrappers made from flexible material containing food that is intended for immediate consumption from the packet or wrapper without any further preparation;
(3) Beverage containers with a capacity of up to three litres, i.e. receptacles used to contain liquid such as beverage bottles including their caps and lids and composite beverage packaging including their caps and lids, but not glass or metal beverage containers that have caps and lids made from plastic;
(4) Cups for beverages, including their covers and lids;
(5) Tobacco products with filters and filters marketed for use in combination with tobacco products;
(6) Wet wipes, i.e. pre-wetted personal care and domestic wipes;
(7) Balloons, except balloons for industrial or other professional uses and applications that are not distributed to consumers;
(8) Lightweight plastic carrier bags as defined in point 1c of Article 3 of Directive 94/62/EC;
(9) Sanitary towels (pads), tampons and tampon applicators.
Are there any product requirements?
Member States shall ensure that single-use plastic products listed in Part C of the Annex that have caps and lids made of plastic may be placed on the market only if the caps and lids remain attached to the containers during the products’ intended use stage.
For the purposes of this Article, metal caps or lids with plastic seals shall not be considered to be made of plastic.
Are there any EU harmonised standards to help implement this?
By 3 October 2019, the Commission shall request the European standardisation organisations to develop harmonised standards relating to the requirement referred to in paragraph 1. Those standards shall in particular address the need to ensure the necessary strength, reliability and safety of beverage container closures, including those for carbonated drinks.
From the date of publication of the references to harmonised standards referred to in paragraph 3 in the Official Journal of the European Union, single-use plastic products referred to in paragraph 1 which are in conformity with those standards or parts thereof shall be presumed to be in conformity with the requirement laid down in paragraph 1.
Are there any recycled content targets?
From 2025, beverage bottles listed in Part F of the Annex which are manufactured from polyethylene terephthalate as the major component (‘PET bottles’) contain at least 25 % recycled plastic, calculated as an average for all PET bottles placed on the market on the territory of that Member State; and
from 2030, beverage bottles listed in Part F of the Annex contain at least 30 % recycled plastic, calculated as an average for all such beverage bottles placed on the market on the territory of that Member State.
How are member states going to achieve this?
To achieve that objective, Member States may inter alia:
(a) establish deposit-refund schemes;
(b) establish separate collection targets for relevant extended producer responsibility schemes.
For further information, please refer to article 9 of the Directive.
