EU Commission adopts new decision on recycled plastic content in single use bottles
On 30 November 2023, the Commission adopted Decision 2023/2683 on the rules regarding recycled plastic content in single use bottles (Recycled Content in Bottles Decision = RCBD). The RCBD implements Directive 2019/904 (Reduction of Impact of Plastic Products Directive = RIPPD). It will enter into force on 4 December 2023.
The RCBD lays down the rules for the calculation, verification, and reporting of data on recycled plastic content in single-use plastic beverage bottles. It sets the guidelines for the application of the RIPPD, which set targets for the minimum recycled plastic content in single-use plastic beverage bottles.
The scope of the RCBD is “beverage bottles” and “PET bottles”. Beverage bottles according to Article 1.3 of the Decision, are single-use plastic beverage bottle with a capacity of up to three liters, including its cap, lid, label, and sleeve, if any, excluding:
- glass or metal beverage bottles that have caps and lids made from plastic.
- beverage bottles intended and used for food for special medical purposes (as defined in Article 2.2, point g, of Regulation 609/2013), that is in liquid form.
PET bottles are defined in Article 1.4 as a beverage bottles which are manufactured from polyethylene terephthalate as the major component.
In Article 2, the methodology for calculating the proportion of recycled plastic content in bottles is stated. The calculation will have to be done by dividing the weight of recycled plastic in beverage bottles placed on the market by the weight of the plastic parts of beverage bottles placed on the market, and the result expressed as a percentage.
Articles 5 and 6 define the obligation of Member States to collect and verify data from economic operators and to report it.
