Plastic soup in the Mediterranean Sea and porpoises mistaking a piece of plastic for a tasty fish. Or closer: overflowing trash cans in the park or a polluted ditch. To prevent litter, the European Commission introduced new rules regarding single-use plastic products (SUP for short). From July 1, 2023, consumers will pay a "SUP levy" for products with so-called single-use plastic packaging.

 Specifically, this summer consumers will start to see an SUP levy on the cash receipt when checking out ready-to-eat meal salads, coffee to-go and individually wrapped ice cream in plastic packaging, among others. The legislation does not specify a threshold for the amount of plastic. Packaging made of paper and cardboard with a thin layer of plastic to make it grease- or water-resistant may also fall under the SUP rules.

Supermarkets and retailers may determine the amount of the SUP levy themselves. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Public Works does mention guideline amounts to give guidance:

• € 0.25 for a drinking cup.
• € 0.50 for a meal in a form-fitting package.
• € 0.05 for vegetables, fruits, nuts in form-fixed portion packs.

We are going to see this summer what effect the SUP levy is going to have. Will it make us more conscious of our waste? In times of (shrink) (in)flation, the extra amounts on the receipt will in any case not escape consumers. An extra reason for producers to increasingly choose alternative packaging materials without plastic. Wouldn't that be nice, the SUP levy as an incentive for innovation? Consumer, producer and nature happy!

Lisanne Steenbergen

30 June 2023