European countries hold a positive and supportive stance toward RPET tableware, having established a comprehensive policy and regulatory framework, mature market applications, and stringent safety certification standards. They are leading regions globally in the promotion of RPET tableware.
- Strong Policy and Regulatory Drivers
The European Union promotes the development of RPET tableware through multiple directives. The EU Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUP) includes rPET tableware in its list of encouraged developments, mandating that food-contact plastic products must contain at least 50% recycled content by 2030. The European Commission Regulation (EU) 2022/1616 establishes a safety assessment system for recycled plastic materials, requiring that recycled plastics must originate from authorized recycling processes and obtain evaluation and approval from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) before being placed on the market.
The UK government mandates that takeaway tableware must contain at least 30% recycled materials and, starting in October 2023, has banned a series of single-use plastic products. The EU also requires that 90% of plastic bottles be recycled by 2029, with PET bottles containing at least 25% recycled plastic from 2025 onward.
- Widespread Market Applications
Europe is the region with the highest penetration of RPET tableware globally. In 2024, the European food service industry’s usage of rPET exceeded 420,000 tons, accounting for 31% of all plastic tableware. Data from the European Plastics Pact indicates that in 2023, the EU market used approximately 280,000 tons of rPET for food-contact inner packaging trays, nearly triple the usage in 2020, and is projected to exceed 450,000 tons by 2025.
Leading enterprises are actively expanding their presence. Plastipak has established multiple rPET recycling plants in Europe, with an annual production capacity exceeding 150,000 tons of food-grade rPET. Germany’s RCS Group has acquired a stake in the Croatian rPET recycling company Rekis, further expanding Europe’s food-grade rPET production capacity.
- Comprehensive Safety Certification System
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has established a stringent safety assessment system for food-grade rPET. EFSA verifies the decontamination capabilities of recycling processes through “challenge testing,” simulating extreme contamination scenarios to demonstrate the effectiveness and reliability of the processes. The LSP process by Austria’s NGR has been evaluated and approved by EFSA, making it the only certified process currently meeting the standards for food-grade applications.
Products must also comply with the EU Food Contact Materials Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004, which sets strict limits on the migration of harmful substances from tableware such as ceramics, metals, and glass. The EN 12875 series of standards specifically regulates the durability of tableware in dishwasher environments.
- High Consumer Acceptance
Survey data show that over 60% of consumers support the use of rPET in food packaging. When consumers understand the positive contributions of rPET to energy conservation, emission reduction, and resource recycling, they are more willing to embrace it. Ongoing scientific communication and public education have further enhanced societal awareness and acceptance of rPET.
The positive attitude of European countries toward RPET tableware is reflected in multiple dimensions, including policy support, market applications, safety certifications, and consumer acceptance. This has formed a complete industrial ecosystem, providing a model for the global development of RPET tableware.