The plans for a Europe-wide mandatory deposit went one step ahead – what is the current state?

After more than four years of intensive discussions, the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament have agreed on a provisional version of a new European Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) in the trilogue procedure.
Like many other market and system participants, the DPG was involved in the preparation of the specifications with proposals. 

March 2024: political trilogue on the European Packaging Regulation

The plans for introducing a Europe-wide mandatory deposit are in the European trilogue process - what does this mean?
The much-discussed European Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which among other things includes a mandatory deposit throughout Europe for one-way beverage packaging, has reached a decisive coordination phase - the so-called trilogue.

Cornerstones of the new EU packaging regulation defined

At their plenary session on November 22, 2023, the 705 members of the European Parliament (EP) voted on the European Commission's draft of the new EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) within the first reading. The PPWR’s aim is to realign the principles for handling and disposing of packaging in the member states of the European Union. After a decision by the Council in decembre 2023, the trilogue is expected to follow, which should then be completed in February 2024.

At the start of 2024, milk, mixed milk beverages and all drinkable milk products offered in one-way plastic beverage bottles with a filling volume of 0.1 to 3.0 litres will carry the DPG deposit logo! According to the German Packaging Act (VerpackG), these beverages become subject to the mandatory deposit and thus integrated into the DPG return and deposit system.

DPG provides additional food for thought
The draft of a European-wide binding packaging wate directive (PPWR) presented by the EU Commission in November 2022 - we reported in the article of 15.12.2022 - has stimulated an intensive discussion about the future of packaging market regulation. The DPG has also taken a position in an official statement.

The main goal is the avoidance of packaging
The EU Commission has presented the long-awaited first draft for an EU Packaging Regulation (PPWR), which is to transpose the requirements of the previous directive into an EU regulation that is directly applicable in the member states. The aim is to reduce the continuously increasing per capita volume of (disposable) packaging in each member state. Deposit and return systems are recognised as key players in ensuring sustainable material cycles.

Important notice to all producers and importers of beverages:
Since 1 July 2022 First Distributors are legally obliged to register in the packaging register LUCID!

The new Packaging Act of 9 June 2021, published in the Federal Law Gazette (Bun-desgesetzblatt, BGBl) on 14 June 2021, came into force on 3 July 2021. The changes in the Packaging Act also affect the distribution of beverage in disposable packaging.