Joy surrounds Spain as conservation agencies applaud new packaging rules presented to the Council of Ministers on Tuesday. Even Ecoembes, the manager of these containers, expressed satisfaction with the updated standard. Earlier worries from ecologists disappeared when the latest text was confirmed. The key provisions include the Deposit, Return and Return System, the ban on bisphenol A and phthalates in food packaging, and a mandate for manufacturers to declare how many packages they place on the market.
Some central elements of the decree that expands the Waste Law, approved several months ago, are as follows:
Reducing plastic bottles. By 2030, the number of plastic bottles offered for sale will need to be cut by 20 percent from the 2022 baseline.
More bulk products. Food stores should offer fresh fruit and vegetables in bulk, provided they do not exceed 1.5 kilograms or fall under other specific cases such as organic farming. Stores larger than 400 square meters must dedicate at least 20 percent of floor space to products without primary packaging or in reusable containers.
Avoid misleading slogans. The use of terms such as environmentally friendly or similar phrases that could encourage littering is forbidden.
Manufacturers cover waste management. Under the new decree, plastic container makers must bear the full cost of waste management, including waste left by consumers in the environment.
Encourage in-store packaging returns. The decree confirms the Return, Deposit and Return System for containers, meaning a bottle is returned to the purchasing store after use. It offers an alternative to the yellow container system used in countries with high recovery rates where it operates.
Information on how many packages have been marketed. A major puzzle in the Spanish packaging system has been the tally of bottles and cans sold by manufacturers. A Register of Manufacturers has been established, requiring all producers to report annual container releases, waste management, and financial handling of the systems.
Plastic will be taxed. The non-reusable plastic container tax, part of the broader Waste Law approved in April, will apply from January 1 to items like pharmacies, shampoo bottles, gel containers, detergents, beverage can packaging, and protective wrap. Companies have voiced opposition, warning of the tax’s potential impact. Source: Ministry of Ecological Transition and the Ministry of Social Rights and Agenda 2030.
“They will have to declare how many bottles they have sold”
After the decree’s approval, Friends of the Earth, Ecologists in Action, Greenpeace, Returns, Rezero, and Surfrider Spain—forming the Zero Waste Alliance—expressed their approval. A representative noted that for the first time beverage manufacturers with plastic bottles are obliged to declare annual market figures. The alliance praised the decree for advancing transparency in packaging and waste management.
Specifically, the Royal Decree on packaging is designed to curb plastic pollution in land and marine environments. It aims to ensure measurable targets for the separate collection of plastic bottles under three liters or smaller, enabling accurate tracking of progress.
Plastic bottles are highlighted as a global pollution source. The Waste Law states that if 70 percent of plastic beverage bottles placed on the market by 2023 are not recycled in the yellow container, there will be an option to return the container through the Deposit System for cans, bottles, and briquettes. To achieve this roadmap, the waste segregation manager must avoid counting recovered bottles individually. Civil society’s expectations have been met through cooperation between the Ministry and the social rights ministry.
Organizations also welcomed the ban on phthalates and bisphenol A in food packaging. The ban, already part of the Waste Law, is viewed as critical for protecting health, especially for pregnant women, given the hormone-disrupting properties of these substances and their links to certain cancers.
Ecoembes also applauds the decision
Ecoembes, the agency now responsible for packaging waste management in Spain, endorsed the decree as a major regulatory milestone in waste cyclicality for the current era. The organization affirmed broad support for the standard, while acknowledging the practical challenges in implementation and compliance. It called on public authorities to ensure everyone meets their obligations without exception. Ecoembes added that the policy’s ambition aligns with a long-standing principle: the best waste is the waste that is not produced.
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Note: This summary reflects official statements and sector responses as reported by the involved parties and government sources. Source: Ministry of Ecological Transition and allied agencies.