Packaging rules offer flexibility, Icelandic expert says

Environmental management specialist Stefán Gíslason says the European Union’s new packaging regulation could impose significant costs and administrative work on Icelandic companies, but also offers flexibility that should allow the rules to be adapted to local conditions, mbl.is reports.

Stefán, who runs environmental consultancy Environice, said the regulation was still largely being developed. He said authorities could often choose how to implement its requirements, provided they achieved the goals of protecting the environment and reducing waste through better means.

Icelandic business representatives have expressed concern that the regulation could become excessively burdensome, particularly for exporters, and may not suit the domestic market when it is incorporated into the European Economic Area framework.

The regulation has several objectives, Stefán said. Its main aims are to prevent hazardous substances, particularly PFAS chemicals, from being used in packaging and to reduce environmental impacts by limiting waste, using less packaging, making recycling easier and increasing the reuse of packaging.

The regulation began to apply in European Union countries in August. It will be introduced and further developed in stages through 2050.

“In an Icelandic context, this means that the authorities must pay close attention to how the implementation is carried out and try as far as possible to take local conditions into account,” Stefán said.

Society stands to benefit

Stefán said the costs of the regulation should be assessed as part of the bigger picture. Individual companies could face substantial costs when changing their packaging and processes, and some might need to invest in new equipment to meet the requirements.

However, he said existing analyses indicated that the regulation would bring significant benefits to society as a whole. Improved packaging practices could reduce waste-treatment costs, lower greenhouse-gas emissions and consequently reduce carbon charges.

Using less packaging, as well as producing smaller packages under rules limiting the amount of empty space they may contain, could also reduce packaging costs and create savings throughout transport and sales chains.

Stefán referred to an analysis by the Environment and Energy Agency that is available through an online EEA database. The preliminary assessment concluded that the new packaging regulation would provide substantial financial benefits for Icelandic society overall.