SOURCE: FREEPIK
The Government approved this Tuesday, December 27, Royal Decree 1055/2022 on packaging and packaging waste, respecting what was agreed in the “waste law”, approved in the Congress of Deputies last April. The regulations have been adapted to promote the circular economy and progress in the management of this waste stream.
Royal Decree 1055/2022 on packaging and packaging waste establishes a regulatory framework that adapts to the new economic and environmental model applied by the European Union (EU) directive. This new regulatory framework sets objectives and concrete measures for administrations, distribution, packers and holders.
The text, which has been in force for more than 20 years, includes a revision of the regulations in force. The main novelties of this new regulation aimed at businesses include measures aimed at increasing the reuse of packaging, encouraging the sale of foodstuffs in bulk, preventing packaging waste and encouraging the recycling and marking of products.
SOURCE: FREEPIKContents
What does Royal Decree 1055/2022 say about packaging and packaging waste?
Royal Decree 1055/2022 of the Official State Gazette (BOE), of December 27, states the following regarding the adaptation of this new regulation:
This Royal Decree is part of the C12.R2 reform of the Spanish Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, linked to the “Waste policy and promotion of the circular economy”, in particular step 178, which includes the approval of the Spanish Strategy for the Circular Economy: Circular Spain 2030, accompanied by a regulatory package in the field of waste, the main element of which was the approval of the new law on waste and contaminated soils for an economy circular, and among others, a new royal decree on containers and container residues. bep
What measures does Royal Decree 1055/2022 on packaging and packaging waste include?
Among the main novelties presented by Royal Decree 1055/2022 on packaging and packaging waste, the following measures are included:
- Prevent and reduce packaging waste: The final text of this Royal Decree 1055/2022 establishes national objectives of a guiding nature. They are the same as those of the law on waste and contaminated soil for a circular economy. Additionally, it sets a target of reducing single-use plastic bottles by 20% from 2022 levels by 2030.
- Encourage the sale of bulk foods: Grocery retailers should encourage the bulk sale of food. The surface area of stores equal to or greater than 400 square meters will devote at least 20% of their sales area to the offer of products presented without primary packaging, including sale in bulk or through reusable containers.
- Increase packaging reuse: Grocery retailers who sell food and beverages in bulk must accept the use of reusable containers by consumers, who will be responsible for packaging and cleaning them.
- Promote product recycling and marking: Royal Decree 1055/2022 will promote the use of materials obtained from recycled packaging waste. In addition, recommended percentages of recycled plastic in packaging are established for the years 2025 and 2030, which will be mandatory.
- Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR): A premium must be established in the financial contributions to be paid by producers when the product meets efficiency criteria. If they are not respected, a penalty will be established when the product does not meet these criteria.
Environmental organizations and waste managers appreciate the final text of Royal Decree 1055/2022
The Zero Waste Alliance, made up of the organizations Friends of the Earth, Ecologists in Action, Greenpeace, Returns, Rezero and Surfrider Spain, values the final text of Royal Decree 1055/2022 on packaging and packaging waste as follows:
We celebrate that the ministry and government partners have taken this definitive step towards transparency. Moreover, this was done from the articles of the law and not from an appendix. With this Royal Decree 1055/2022, for the first time, producers of beverages packaged in plastic bottles are required to annually declare the number of bottles they place on the market.zero waste alliance
For their part, from Ecoembes, they highlight the importance of the final text of Royal Decree 1055/2022:
We believe that this royal decree is one of the most important regulatory milestones on waste circularity of the last quarter century in our country. We show our full support for the objectives of this standard, which coexists with an obvious challenge. The ambition of the new standard is crystallized in a principle that we have been defending for many years: the best waste is that which is not produced.Ecoembes
Sources: Drafting Ambientum, BOE, EFE VERDE, MITECO, Professional Waste