Digest Reports from Foodchain ID Regulatory Trends

In this open letter, European civil society organisations and businesses call on the EU Council and Parliament to support a robust Green Claims Directive, with a meaningful verification procedure and clear rules on environmental claims to protect consumers and sustainable businesses.

According to Torkelis, although the technologies of plastic packaging waste recycling are sufficiently developed and continuously improved, recycling composite packaging still presents challenges. Although reducing plastic waste remains a primary goal, recycling is essential to manage the plastic already in circulation. Recent statistics reveal that in 2021, each person in the European Union (EU) generated an average of 36 kg of plastic packaging waste. Political and legal factors include a range of legislation and policies to regulate the management of plastic packaging waste. To better understand how external factors influence plastic packaging recycling, KTU researchers conducted a macro-environmental analysis that examined six key areas: political, economical, social, technological, ecological, and legal factors.

The Environmental Protection Department (EPD)'s "Plastic Recyclable Materials Recovery Service Pilot Scheme" (the Pilot Scheme) will end on January 18 this year. The EPD today (January 9) announced the latest arrangements for collection and recycling of waste plastics. A spokesman for the EPD said: "There is overlap in resources between the pilot scheme and the 'District Green' in recycling plastics. It has been decided to terminate the pilot scheme on January 18 this year, and the relevant plastic recycling services will be taken over by the 'District Green' community recycling networks in the relevant districts." The spokesman said: "In addition to reducing overlapping work, in the future, 'District Green' operating groups can hand over the collected plastics to any recyclers approved by the EPD in the market for processing, rather than just the three recyclers designated by the pilot scheme in the past.

From replacing cans with cartons, to replacing foil sweet wrappers with paper ones, paper packaging is on the rise. But it does mean that paper packaging manufacturers will have significantly more to worry about when it comes to regulatory compliance. Paper packaging, for some items, has always existed, but as many industries engage in a drive towards sustainability, it’s proliferating. How relevant is this to paper packaging? Of the seven commodities covered by the EUDR, paper is not one of them.

This transformation is not about rejecting plastics outright, but what about finding smarter, more sustainable solutions. Industry experts outlined the growing threats to Europe’s plastics and plastics recycling industries. We are facing a huge competition both from virgin and recycled plastics imported into Europe. While Europe has been a global leader in plastics recycling, with a recycled content rate twice the global average, recent data indicates progress is stalling. This pressing question is central to numerous sectors, but none more so than plastics and plastic recycling. While Europe leads globally in recycled content and boasts a pioneering regulatory framework, momentum is waning and the European industry is facing “huge” competition from both virgin and recycled plastics imported from overseas.

Fluoropolymers are characterized by fluorine atoms directly attached to a polymer’s carbon backbone. The strength of the carbon-fluorine bonds gives fluoropolymers a unique combination of properties that are critical to the performance and benefits of the products where they are used, making them resistant to extreme temperatures, corrosion, friction, and chemical reactions.

The French Parliament has recently passed a significant law banning per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in many consumer products. This legislation, adopted on February 20, 2025, aims to reduce the use of these persistent pollutants, often referred to as "forever chemicals" due to their resistance to breaking down in the environment.

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Draft law, n° 161 - 17th legislature - National Assembly France adopts ban on PFAS in consumer products

Drawing on the collective expertise of Moy Park, Pilgrim’s UK and Pilgrim’s Food Masters, the manufacturer is guided by the principle of ‘doing the right thing’. Matt Harris, head of packaging at Pilgrim’s Europe, said packaging was a central focus of the meat processor’s sustainability strategy since its recent restructuring. Every day more and more pressure is being placed on manufacturers to make sure that their packaging is sustainable at every point of the supply chain – from using more recycled material to tracking where their packaging ends up. Julian Dyer, chief operating officer at Australian Vintage, commented: “Sustainability is paramount to our success in the future. The manufacturer is exploring different ways in which it can close the loop on materials and reduce its reliance on virgin plastics.

Published in line with the OIM’s approach to transparency and information disclosure. Any revisions made to the timetable will be published on this webpage. 12 February: The OIM has published a report on the impact of single-use plastic (SUP) restrictions on the internal market of the UK. The report was published on 12 February 2025. The OIM wants to hear from a wide range of stakeholders, including SMEs and others in the supply chain, about their experience of dealing with regulatory changes in relation to single-use plastics. The OIM particularly invites views on how businesses have responded to the changes and the extent to which differences in the timing or substance of regulations have impacted policy making and innovation across the UK. The OIM ran a short online survey from 29 July 2024 to 30 September 2024.

The South African (SA) Plastics Pact has made significant strides toward a circular economy for plastic packaging, according to its latest annual report. This demonstrates an ongoing commitment to transparency and collaboration,” said Roan Snyman, Circular Economy Analyst at GreenCape, the SA Plastics Pact secretariat. The SA Plastics Pact has set four key targets to drive sustainability in plastic packaging. The second target ensures that all Pact members’ plastic packaging entering the market is reusable, recyclable, or compostable. Pact members have progressed, with 24% recycled content now included in new packaging—an increase of 5% from the baseline report.