EU and member states tighten packaging waste rules, from Portugal's Volta system to German tax

Portugal’s Volta deposit‑reimbursement scheme has recovered more than 150 million beverage containers since its launch in April and now operates over 3 000 automatic collection points. The hospitality sector has protested the system’s operational constraints, and the Portuguese Environment Agency clarified that pre‑Volta stock can still be sold after the transition deadline of 9 August.

The EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which entered into force in February 2025, begins phased implementation on 12 August 2026. It introduces stricter limits on single‑use packaging, bans mini‑shampoo bottles and condiment sachets in hotels and restaurants from 1 January 2030, and requires supermarkets to use lighter, more recyclable materials and to phase out “misleading” oversized packs.

A German study of municipal packaging taxes finds the environmental benefit negligible – a 0.04 % reduction in national waste and a 0.0013 % drop in CO₂ emissions – while imposing administrative costs that could raise the tax base from €0.1 billion to €4.1 billion, effectively passing costs to consumers.

In Spain, a consumer barometer shows 40 % of shoppers have stopped buying a product because its packaging was not perceived as sustainable, with strong demand for monomaterial, recyclable packaging and clear recycling instructions.

Together, these developments illustrate growing pressure across Europe to curb packaging waste, improve recycling rates, and balance environmental goals with economic and operational costs.