EU bans single-use plastic packaging in restaurants and cafés from August

From August this year the European Union will prohibit the use of single‑use plastic packaging in restaurants, cafés and hotels. The new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation also bans the so‑called “eternal chemicals” in food packaging and caps the volume of containers, requiring that no more than 50 % of a package be empty space. Starting in February next year, hospitality venues must allow customers to bring their own containers for take‑away food and drinks.

The measure aims to help the EU meet its 2030 recycling targets – at least 70 % of non‑plastic waste and 50 % of all plastic waste must be recycled. The uniform rules replace the previously varied national approaches to plastic waste management across member states.