Food Contact Materials (FCM) – EU Rules On Recycled Packaging Materials

10^th October 2022, regulation (EU) 2022/1616 was the day when the new rule on food contact material came into force. This regulation was made to ensure that the food items that are sold in the packaged form do not cause any kind of threat to the common population of the European union countries. Earlier too under the (regulation (EC) No 282/2008), the similar kind of provisions were made but were found to be less effective. This new regulation that had come into force in 2022 is also a part of Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP). The main purpose behind reforming the earlier plan was to ensure that quality materials are used in food packaging such as postal bag, cardboard boxes, etc. Also, this regulation aimed to allow the use of recycled plastics primarily because of two reasons. The first reason was the sustainability. The recycled plastics when used will not cause any kind of threat to the environment and secondly to ensure that the recycled plastics that were being used were non- toxic in nature when they come in contact with food.

The major changes which were implemented in the EU countries from the 10^th of October 2022 were as follows.

• Extensive and detailed rules were made for keeping a watch on the kinds of plastics being used, places where it is recycled, the decontamination process which gets carried out before making the plastic toxin free.
• Different kinds of recycling processes are being allowed such as mechanical recycling, chemical recycling and recycling packaging materials in a closed and controlled product chain.
• The European commission website will have the documentation of all the recyclers and the recycling stations so that fair and just recycling practices are maintained.

There are further plans which are supposed to come into action from October, 2024. A few of them are like the quality assurance systems will be required to get a clearance from any third party. This regulation is made exclusively to keep check on the usage of plastics and more than 200 mechanical PET recycling authority will be granted to an individual. This will help the EU meet the target of 25% recycled bottles being used for the PET beverage drinks by 2025.

Why Was This Important?

These days almost everyone uses the packaged food without knowing how dangerous the consequences can be. The plastic materials seep into the food that we eat, packaged or cooked and packed and they flow directly into our blood streams causing various kind of health ailments. This regulation therefore firstly aims to promote the use of recycled plastics so that they do not become a threat to the environment and secondly, the use of sustainable food packaging materials such as removal boxes, paper bags, etc will also be promoted. The government plans to fully execute the complete regulation by the end of 2025 and this will not only pave way for a healthier future of the European Union countries but will also help in substantially reducing the plastic waste which is causing the damage to the human health and as well as the environmental health.

Summing Up

Today, almost all the countries are joining hand to curb pollution and the first step in this regard is the ban on the use of plastics. But how many countries have taken steps or even noticed the ill effects of selling food materials in packaged plastics. Its high time that we make sure that not only our environment but also out health and functionality remain safe before it’s too late to handle things. There have been changes in the world lately and people have been positively working towards helping the governments across the globe in achieving the goals. Packaging materials like double wall cardboard boxes, recycled plastics, plastics made from bamboo and sugarcane residue, etc should be brought into use to ensure that unwanted materials should not be used in anything which is edible. PET bottles which are being used the packaging of beverages, etc should be essentially made from recycled plastics and if possible these packaging materials should be replaced with something sustainable.