Zero Waste Europe highlights policy measures needed for European takeaway sector

20 Sep 2024 --- Zero Waste Europe (ZWE) is stressing the critical role public authorities play in advancing reuse systems for takeaway packaging, which have yet to be embraced by the takeaway F&B industry at large.

According to ZWE’s latest report, there is growing interest across the EU in reducing packaging waste from takeaway food and drinks by replacing single-use packaging with reusable and refillable alternatives. 

The report finds that with reuse market penetration at around 85% and no supporting fiscal policy measures in place, a reuse packaging system will likely cost takeaway vendors — and therefore takeaway consumers — more than the single-use option. 

The difference in net cost varies by format, with some formats that are easier to wash and transport (such as cups) being “close to cost-neutral” on the reuse option and others (such as pizza boxes) costing significantly more. 

However, ZWE warns that single-use is only relatively low-cost because the environmental externalities associated with it are not currently priced in — these being the costs of litter clean-up, litter disposal and carbon impacts. 

It stresses these externality costs are borne by society as a whole and are paid for by a wider group of citizens than takeaway vendors. 

Single-use takeway packaging has a price advantage for vendors as long as externality costs are not considered.Packaging Insights sits down with Larissa Copello, ZWE’s Packaging and Reuse policy officer, to discuss the urgency of policy intervention to establish a takeaway reuse packaging system that redirects infrastructure toward circularity. 

What is needed most urgently to shift the takeaway sector away from single-use and toward reuse packaging?
Copello: Given the unfair advantage of single-use packaging when it comes to its costs, policy intervention is crucial to level the playing field the externality costs that are not currently factored in. Therefore, it is urgent for public authorities to implement fiscal measures — such as levies or taxes — to create fair competition between reuse and its single-use counterparts. 

In addition to fiscal intervention, a series of complementary measures can support the transition to reusable packaging systems, such as making reuse the default packaging option in shops, adopting more stringent measures like setting meaningful targets for reuse or establishing an outright ban on single-use packaging.

What are challenges for restaurants to comply with mandatory reuse targets? 
Copello: The challenge lies in the fact that, nowadays, we live in a linear economy, and consequently, the system is designed to be linear and not circular. Therefore, today, the cost of entry for reuse and the competition of the subsidized linear infrastructure is unfair. To balance that, there is a need to build the right reuse infrastructure that will lead to a cost-efficient system. 

But for that to happen, policy intervention is key to put forward conditions and incentives to transition to reuse systems for packaging and to properly apply the Polluter Pays Principle, making producers responsible for bearing the full costs of the end-of-life of the packaging they place on the market. 

Let’s talk about the German case: Although EPR fees have been introduced, high market penetration is yet to come. How do you explain that?
Copello: EPR is supposed to apply the Polluter Pays Principle in theory, but in practice, it has so far mostly covered the basic costs of collection and treatment of waste. While in the case of Berlin, EPR fees currently apply to single-use packaging, which are likely to support level playing the costs of single-use versus reuse. This measure alone is not sufficient to drive high levels of market penetration for reuse. 

On the one hand, the fees could be aimed higher to modify single-use packaging costs to internalize the current externalities (i.e., litter clean-up, litter disamenity and carbon impacts), thereby creating a more level playing field for reusable packaging to compete with single-use packaging. Through PPWR, EU countries will have the chance to implement further measures supporting a resuable packaging system.

But improving EPR fees alone is not sufficient. A set of measures targeting single-use takeaway packaging is necessary to achieve the desired levels of reuse, such as fiscal measures (taxes and levies on single-use), setting ambitious reuse targets, prohibiting placing single-use takeaway packaging on the market, and mandating that the default packaging option for serving takeaway F&B should be reusable packaging.

What opportunities does the EU’s PPWR bring?
Copello: With the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) coming into force soon, EU member states have the opportunity to implement further measures and support the transition to efficient, reusable packaging systems and address packaging waste from the source.

For instance, according to the recently agreed PPWR text, member states shall take additional measures to encourage the set-up of systems for re-use of packaging, including by (i) setting even higher reuse targets for the sectors that the regulation have already established and for other types of packaging formats, (ii) setting up deposit and return systems for reusable packaging and for other packaging formats, (iii) adopting economic incentives to charge the use of single-use packaging, among others.

In addition, the PPWR also establishes that EPR and DRS must dedicate a minimum share of their budget to financing waste prevention and reuse systems.

By Natalie Schwertheim