Overview
- The new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation enters into force on 12 August 2026 and implements a general ban on single-use portion packs for on-site consumption from 2030.
- The ban targets tiny multi-layer items such as ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard and sauce sachets, single-serve sugar sticks and coffee cream portions that are difficult to recycle.
- Take-away orders and hygiene-sensitive settings like hospitals and care homes are explicitly exempted so that portions can still be supplied when food is eaten off-site or sterility is required.
- Restaurants, cafés and hotels must switch to options such as refill dispensers, reusable dishes or small jugs for milk and cream while manufacturers will need to redesign non-recyclable wrapping with some firms already searching for compliant alternatives.
- The measure supports an EU goal to reduce packaging waste roughly 15 percent by 2040 and is likely to raise short-term costs and supply‑chain changes for hospitality and food makers as they transition to new systems.