EU’s upcoming ‘digital product passport’ will include packaging, official says
Although packaging as such won’t be regulated as a separate product category under the EU’s proposed eco-design rules for everyday consumer goods, it will be incorporated in the overall assessment of their environmental footprint, an EU official has said.
Over-consumption of products ranging from smartphones to textiles is heaping pressure on natural resources and needs to be reined in, according to the European Commission.
Up to 80% of a product’s lifecycle environmental impact is determined at the design stage, according to the EU executive, which tabled a Regulation on Ecodesign for Sustainable Products (ESPR) on 30 March to try to reduce this.
The idea is also to make consumer products longer-lasting as well as easier to repair and recycle.
