Last week, the European Commission adopted a decision fleshing out provisions of the EU Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUPD). Implementing decision (EU) 2023/2683 lays down the rules for the "calculation, verification and reporting of data on recycled plastic content in single-use plastic beverage bottles". It was published on 1 December in the Official Journal of the European Union and entered into force three days later.
The SUPD requires single-use beverage bottles made primarily of PET to have a recyclate content of at least 25 per cent from 2025. From 2030, the minimum level of recycled content required will rise to 30 per cent. In both cases, the recycled content is calculated as an average for all PET bottles placed on the market on the territory of a member state....
