EU introduces stricter single‑use plastic packaging rules for cafés and hotels from August

From August 2026 the European Union’s new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation bans a range of single‑use plastic items in cafés, restaurants and hotels. Prohibited products include disposable sugar bags, ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard and soy‑sauce sachets, small coffee‑cream packs, and miniature hotel shampoo, shower‑gel and soap packets. The regulation also bans the use of so‑called “eternal chemicals” in food packaging, limits empty space in containers to less than 50% (40% for e‑commerce), and caps heavy‑metal content at 100 mg/kg.

Andrea Čović Vidović, deputy head of the European Commission Representation in Croatia, said the ban on “eternal chemicals” targets substances that can be toxic to humans. Further phases will require take‑away customers to bring their own containers beginning February 2027, mandate reusable takeaway packaging by 2028, and prohibit small packages containing more than 5% plastic by 2030. The EU also aims to recycle at least 70% of non‑plastic waste and 50% of plastic waste between 2025 and 2030.