BRUSSELS - EU negotiators struck an agreement on March 4 to ban single-use plastics in cafes and restaurants from 2030, officials said, under new rules to reduce waste from packaging across the bloc.

The EU’s 27 nations and lawmakers agreed on the draft text that sets a target of cutting packaging waste in the bloc by five per cent by 2030, compared with the amount in 2018.

The aim is to reduce that further by 10 per cent in 2035 and 15 per cent by 2040.

The text is a key element of the EU’s environmental goals under the Green Deal, a set of laws for helping the bloc meet its climate goals.

“This regulation aims to reduce waste caused by packaging, making it more sustainable, while ensuring the highest waste management standards,” the government of Belgium, which holds the rotating EU presidency, said on X.

Plastics in catering had been at the heart of bitter negotiations after intense lobbying by fast-food giants and the paper industry, which said cardboard packaging, recyclable or from sustainable forests, was more environmentally friendly than plastics.

The single-use plastic packaging ban from 2030 will also apply for unprocessed fresh fruit and vegetables, individual portions of products such as condiments and sugar, as well as miniature toiletries and shrink-wrap for suitcases in airports.

Ultra-lightweight plastic bags will also be banned, with some exceptions.

“For the first time in an environmental law, the EU is setting targets to reduce packaging consumption, regardless of the material used,” said Ms Frederique Ries, the Belgian EU lawmaker who pushed the text through Parliament.

“We call on all industrial sectors, EU countries and consumers to play their part in the fight against excess packaging,” she said.

Establishments offering drinks and take-away food must also “endeavour” to offer 10 per cent of their products in reusable packaging by 2030, and should also give consumers the choice of using their own containers, the EU Parliament said.

Lawmakers also added a ban of so-called “forever chemicals” in packaging that has contact with food in a bid to prevent adverse health affects, including different types of cancer.

“The ban on forever chemicals in food packaging is a great victory for the health of European consumers,” Ms Ries said.

The agreement will become law after formal approval by member states and the Parliament. AFP