Swedish government to ban PFAS in consumer products as EU promotes return‑glass system

The Swedish government has presented a national action plan to prohibit PFAS chemicals in everyday consumer items such as clothing, shoes, cosmetics, kitchenware and ski wax, with the ban slated to start on 1 January 2028. The plan adds 10 million SEK for authorities to map contaminated sites, improve coordination and develop cost‑recovery measures, emphasizing that polluters should bear remediation costs rather than households.

At the same time, the European Union’s new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) aims to shift beverage containers toward refillable glass bottles. Nordic industry groups argue the proposal could undermine well‑functioning deposit‑return systems in Sweden, Finland, Norway and Denmark, and call for harmonised incentives across borders. The debate highlights the tension between EU‑wide circular‑economy goals and national recycling successes.