The purpose of the regulation is to increase the recycling of packaging. Recycling of collected waste from glass, paper and metal packaging and PET bottles works, on the whole, well in Sweden. For this reason, this packaging already meets the requirements in the proposed regulations. However, as a general rule, waste from plastic packaging and packaging made from mixed materials is not recycled to the same extent as packaging made from other materials. For this reason, the purpose of the regulations is primarily to increase the recycling of the material in these types of packaging in order to achieve a transition to a circular economy, thereby reducing the use of the earth’s resources and reducing the effects of consumption on the environment, especially the climate.

In order for a producer to place a packaging on the Swedish market, the packaging shall be recyclable. A packaging shall be considered recyclable if at least 75 percent by weight of the material used in the package can be recycled to sellable materials or sellable products.