The European Union recently published Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulations (PPWR), which will bring significant changes to the way hotels and restaurants operate across Europe. The regulation enters into force on 11 February 2025 and has a deadline for transposition into the legislation of each member state until August 12, 2026.
The main aspects that will affect operations in the HORECA sector:
- Banning Single-Use Packaging – Implementation deadline: January 1, 2030, the use of single-use packaging for food and drinks consumed in hotels and restaurants will be banned. This includes single-serving packaging such as sugar, sauces and creams. This paves the way for the adoption of reusable and more sustainable solutions.
- Promoting Reuse – Implementation deadline: February 12, 2027, hotels and restaurants will be required to offer customers the option to fill their own take-away containers at no additional cost. In addition, from February 12, 2028, reusable packaging options must be available, thus contributing to the reduction of packaging waste. HORECA operators will need to inform consumers about the availability of these options.
- Compliance with Recycling Regulations – Implementation deadline: January 1, 2030, all packaging used in the HORECA sector must be recyclable, which will require economic operators to re-evaluate and improve packaging strategies in accordance with the principles of sustainability.
- Optimizing Packaging Efficiency – Economic operators will have to ensure that the ratio of empty space between the grouped packaging and the sales packaging does not exceed 50%. This will help reduce waste and streamline operational costs.
Existing legislation in Romania – the provisions apply OG 6/2021 of September 2021 on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment, which impose a ban on the placing on the market of the following plastic products:
- Ear buds;
- Cutlery (forks, spoons, knives, Chinese chopsticks);
- Plates;
- Drinking straws;
- Drink stirrers;
- Sticks that attach to balloons or support balloons;
- Food containers made of expanded polystyrene (PE) used to contain products that are consumed on the spot, packaged or ready to eat without requiring additional preparation;
- Beverage containers made of expanded polystyrene (PE), including their stoppers and lids;
- Beverage cups made of expanded polystyrene (PE), including their lids.
This EU Regulation comes with additional measures, which will have to be transposed into local legislation according to the mentioned deadlines. Future obligations will bring operational changes, so operators are encouraged to evaluate current packaging strategies and explore alternatives that meet the new sustainability requirements.
For more information about the PPWR regulation and its impact on HORECA, you can access the text of the Regulation here
