The protection of the environment and the sustainable management of resources have now become essential pillars of European policies. To address challenges such as increasing waste, material waste, and the impacts associated with the use of packaging, the European Union has developed over time a coherent regulatory framework aimed at promoting the transition to a circular economy.

In this context, two directives play a central role: the Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EC, amended by 2018/851) and the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (94/62/EC amended by Directive (EU) 2018/852).
The former strengthens the waste hierarchy and producer responsibility; the latter promotes the reduction of the environmental impact of packaging, encouraging recycling and reuse. These directives work synergistically towards the European goal of a circular economy, in which packaging is designed, produced, distributed, and disposed of in a sustainable way.

These directives are relevant for producers and distributors because they introduce binding obligations on packaging and waste management, which must be complied with in order to operate in the European market.
In this first article, we will focus on the issue of environmental labeling, as regulated by the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive, while in the next article we will examine in greater depth the principle of producer responsibility.

Environmental labeling refers to the set of information displayed on a product’s packaging that serves to identify the materials it is made of and to inform consumers of the correct methods of collection and disposal. In other words, it is a mandatory tool that makes the final destination of packaging transparent, facilitating separate collection and ensuring compliance with legal requirements.

Currently, in Europe, there is still no harmonized EU-wide regulation on environmental labeling of packaging, but several Member States have introduced specific obligations through their own national legislation.
This regulatory fragmentation makes the framework complex for companies distributing their products in multiple Member States: it is essential to verify national requirements on a case-by-case basis and to prepare environmental labeling that complies with the target market.

For this reason, Trusticert s.r.l. has drawn up a detailed and updated list of European regulations on environmental labeling. The list is available here.

TRUSTICERT supports producers and distributors in complying with European regulatory obligations on packaging and waste. We can guide you step by step in interpreting the directives and correctly applying the required measures.