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EU bans plastic packaging on fruit and vegetables from 2030

by AI | 02.May 2024 | Europe in brief AI

The European Parliament has adopted a new regulation on packaging, which aims to reduce the use of plastic and increase recycling.

A general view of a plenary session of the European Parliament. The outline of a new regulation banning products made with forced labour was agreed by European Union lawmakers during the early hours of Tuesday morning. Photo: Philippe Stirnweiss/European Parliament/dpa

Citizens in the EU are increasingly generating waste in the form of packaging. But new EU legislation is attempting to change this. The EU Parliament has adopted a new regulation on packaging, which aims to reduce packaging waste by 15 percent by 2040. This will be achieved by phasing out plastic-wrapped fruits and vegetables in supermarkets by 2030. Only goods that could be damaged by not being wrapped are exempt.

It is a step in the right direction, believes Christel Schaldemose, who is a member of the EU Parliament and the lead candidate for the Social Democratic Party:

“It has never made sense that cucumbers should be wrapped in plastic. It is such an obvious waste of resources,” says Christel Schaldemose.

The new legislation also requires that all packaging be recyclable. Additionally, the packaging must be made safer for consumers by setting limits on the amount of the harmful PFAS in packaging that comes into contact with food.