Zero Waste Europe: Food packaging: safety first

A new Zero Waste Europe policy briefing, Food Packaging: Safety first – Towards toxic-free and future-proof packaging lays out the shortcomings related to the current regulation of chemicals in food packaging, and provides recommendations to achieve toxic-free and future-proof food packaging.

The briefing highlights inconsistencies in the current Food Contact Materials (FCMs) Regulation that compromise its aims of ensuring chemical safety and the functioning of the internal market. The focus on plastic packaging is prominent, but harmonised EU rules are lacking for most other materials where harmful chemicals can also be found.

Zero Waste Europe recommends addressing harmful chemicals in circular economy solutions, and avoiding the upstream introduction of hazardous substances in food packaging. The new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation offers an excellent opportunity to regulate sustainability of packaging, and improve and harmonise EU-wide rules on harmful chemicals in all packaging materials and articles. Zero Waste Europe also calls for a timely revision of the delayed FCM legislation.