Strengthening EU Rules on Pellet Loss: A necessary move to prevent the damage and reduce the cost of microplastic pollution

Rethink Plastic’s position on the EU’s regulation to prevent pellet loss: To effectively reduce the environmental and economic burden of pellet loss, a comprehensive supply chain approach is essential to implement, with robust and binding measures for all operators at every stage of the supply chain, ensuring that those responsible for pollution are held accountable rather than leaving EU public authorities and citizens to pay. Such binding prevention steps will protect public health and ecosystems while cutting long-term costs for European communities by curbing the ongoing effects of microplastic pollution.

Open Letter on Chemicals in the PPWR

In line with our letter sent to Commissioners on 30 November 2023 regarding substances of concern in the Ecodesign for Sustainable Product Regulation (ESPR)1, we are now calling on negotiators to maintain the ambition of the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability (CSS) within the PPWR.

In particular, we ask the negotiators to:

  1. Introduce restrictions in the cases of significant risks to human health or the environment with wording aligned with the ESPR, and
  2. Introduce bans on PFAS and BPA in packaging.
Image by Freepik

Open Letter calling for well-designed reuse systems in the PPWR revision

We, the signatories of this letter (civil society organisations and reuse businesses across Europe), are concerned that misinformation and intense lobbying from the single-use packaging industry and the take-away sector are undermining the need for reuse as a driver for waste prevention, resource
conservation and climate protection in the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR).

This regulation represents a critical opportunity for the much-needed transition towards more circular
packaging systems at a time where it is crucial to tackle emissions, pollution and resource use in all
sectors. The focus of decision-makers should remain firmly on the key objective of the PPWR,
which is reducing packaging waste and improving the environmental performance of this increasingly wasteful sector.