The organic sector, which has always been attentive to sustainability, is faced with a new regulatory challenge: the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), published last January in the Official Journal of the European Union and destined to gradually come into force. Companies therefore have time to adapt and to support them in this phase, CONAI has set up a working group with representatives of manufacturing companies, associations and supply chain consortia in addition to representatives of the Consortium. Thanks to the work of this team of experts, CONAI is making a series of tools available to companies, the first of which was the webinar ‘New Packaging Regulation: operational guidelines for companies’, which took place on 4 March.
The PPWR aims to reduce packaging waste through prevention, recycling and reuse principles. Organic companies, already committed to environmentally friendly production processes, will now have to adapt to new requirements that may impact their packaging choices.
The regulation ‘applies to all packaging, including that of fruit and vegetables, indeed it includes some specific provisions for this very chain’. Among these, ‘one requirement that explicitly calls into question the fruit and vegetable chain is that of compostability. From February 2028, in fact, certain packaging will have to be compostable, and this includes the adhesive labels applied to fruit and vegetables’.
Another relevant aspect is the ban on single-use plastic packaging: ‘From 1 January 2023, amongst others, those intended for the packaging of unprocessed fruit and vegetables weighing less than 1.5 kg will be banned’. However, ‘the ban applies to nets, bags, trays…’ but ‘provides an exemption for the IV Gamma. Due to the fragility and short shelf-life of this category, it would not be possible to provide for a different type of packaging’.
The Regulation also imposes a general obligation to reduce packaging: ‘From February 2028, sales packaging must minimise empty spaces and avoid unnecessary double walls and layers. Filling materials are considered by the Regulation as empty spaces’.
A further key point is that of reuse: ‘From 1 January 2030, at least 40 per cent of the total packaging used for transport must be reusable; for packaging used in transport between production sites, this will have to be achieved in its entirety.’ ‘Already in the fruit and vegetable sector there are packaging reuse circuits, which will presumably be implemented to comply with the Regulation.’
The regulation then imposes stricter recyclability criteria: ‘From 1 January 2030, in fact, all packaging will have to be recyclable, according to three recyclability classes; from 2035 it will also have to be collected separately and recycled on a large scale, and by 2038 only packaging belonging to the two most virtuous classes will be allowed to remain on the market’.
Finally, regarding the content of recycled material in plastic packaging: ‘By the end of 2026 is the minimum content of recycled material in plastic packaging. Companies will then have time to comply with the limits imposed, which can vary from 10 to 35 per cent depending on the type of packaging’.
The organic sector, therefore, will face major changes in order to comply with the PPWR. While this regulation represents an opportunity to consolidate the environmental commitment of organic companies, it also raises doubts and concerns about the difficulties of compliance and the costs that may result. The debate is open and organic companies will have to carefully consider the implications of these new rules on their packaging and distribution strategies.
Elena Consonni
