This Directive amends Directive 94/62/EC on Packaging and Packaging Waste. The Objectives to Council Directive 94/62/EC are updated so that it lays down measures aimed, as a first priority, at preventing the production of packaging waste and, as additional fundamental principles, at reusing packaging, at recycling and other forms of recovering packaging waste and, therefore, at reducing the final disposal of such waste in order to contribute to the transition towards a circular economy.

Furthermore, in order to ensure greater coherence in Union waste law, the definitions in Directive 94/62/EC are aligned, where relevant, with those of Directive 2008/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council which is applicable to waste in general.

Reuse
Article 5 - Reuse is replaced with a larger requirement for reuse of packaging. Waste prevention is the most efficient way to improve resource efficiency and to reduce the environmental impact of waste. It is important therefore that Member States take appropriate measures to encourage the increase in the share of reusable packaging placed on the market and the reuse of packaging.

Such measures can include the use of deposit-return schemes and other incentives, such as setting quantitative targets, taking reuse into account for the attainment of recycling targets, and differentiated financial contributions for reusable packaging under extended producer responsibility schemes for packaging. Member States should take measures to incentivise the take-up of reusable packaging and to achieve a reduction in consumption of packaging that is not recyclable and of excessive packaging.

As reuse entails the avoidance of placing new packaging on the market and increasing the volumes of packaging waste generated, reusable sales packaging that is placed on the market for the first time and wooden packaging that is repaired for reuse should be taken into account for the purposes of attaining the respective packaging recycling targets.

Recovery and recycling
The targets laid down in European Parliament and Council Directive 94/62/EC for the recovery and recycling of packaging and packaging waste are amended by increasing the recycling of packaging waste to make them better reflect the Union’s ambition to move to a circular economy.

Additional targets are added to Article 6 - Recovery and recycling as follows:

• no later than 31 December 2025 a minimum of 65 % by weight of all packaging waste will be recycled;
• no later than 31 December 2025 the following minimum targets by weight for recycling will be met regarding the following specific materials contained in packaging waste:
  • 50 % of plastic
  • 25 % of wood
  • 70 % of ferrous metals
  • 50 % of aluminium
  • 70 % of glass
  • 75 % of paper and cardboard;
•  no later than 31 December 2030 a minimum of 70 % by weight of all packaging waste will be recycled;
• no later than 31 December 2030 the following minimum targets by weight for recycling will be met regarding the following specific materials contained in packaging waste:
  • 55 % of plastic;
  • 30 % of wood;
  • 80 % of ferrous metals;
  • 60 % of aluminium;
  • 75 % of glass;
  • 85 % of paper and cardboard.

A new article (Article 6a - Rules on the calculation of the attainment of the targets) is inserted into Directive 94/62/EC which sets out rules for calculating whether recycling and recovery targets have been met.

Article 7 - Return, collection and recovery systems is replaced by a new Article 7 which expands the provision for return, collection and recovery systems. Member States shall ensure that, by 31 December of 2024, extended producer responsibility schemes are established for all packaging.