22/01/2025 (Agence Europe) – The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on Tuesday 21 January. It will apply from 12 August 2026, 18 months after its publication. The new rules should considerably reduce the production of packaging waste by setting binding targets for reuse. As well as promoting the circular economy, the regulation harmonises packaging rules across the EU. These include packaging reduction targets (5% by 2030, 10% by 2035 and 15% by 2040) and require Member States to reduce the amount of plastic packaging waste in particular. From 2030, 100% of packaging must be designed to be recyclable, or risk being banned from the market. The EU will ban certain packaging containing PFAS above certain thresholds when in contact with food. (FS)