The Government will establish a tax on plastic packaging to reduce its use

• Legislation: War on single-use plastics: cannot be sold from July 2021

As planned, the government gave the green light on Tuesday to a legislative package to reduce and improve waste management and favor the transition to a circular economy. The Council of Ministers has approved the Spanish Circular Economy Strategy (Spain Circular 2030) and has begun the processing of the Law on Waste and Contaminated Soils, which, for the first time, limits in our country the use of disposable and disposable plastics and establishes a tax on non-reusable packaging made from this material in order to reduce its use.

The generation of food waste will also be fought because, as the Vice President and Minister for the Technological Transition, Teresa Ribera, after the Council of Ministers, "in eight out of 10 Spanish households, food is wasted . "

The tax on non-reusable plastic packaging will be 0.45 euros per kilogram of packaging and, according to the Government, is similar to the one planned by other European countries such as the United Kingdom or Italy. "It will be of an indirect nature and will fall on the manufacture, import or intra-community acquisition of non-reusable plastic containers that will be used in the Spanish market," explained the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge.

As Ribera has pointed out, with this legislative package, which includes a royal decree on the transfer of waste, Spain incorporates into Spanish legislation the Community directives on waste and single-use plastics .

Regarding the tax on non-reusable plastic packaging, the Government argues that it will establish it following the recommendations of the European Commission, which considers that Spain's income from green taxation is below the EU average ( in 2017, these revenues accounted for 1.83% of GDP compared to the community average of 2.40%, with that tax of 0.45 euros per kilogram of packaging, the Government believes that some 724 million euros will be raised annually.

Single-use plastic

Among the single-use plastic products affected by the law that is now beginning its processing are beverage cups, including their lids and caps, and food containers, such as boxes, with or without lids. As of January 1, 2023, its free distribution is prohibited , that is, there will be a charge for each plastic product that is delivered to the consumer, differentiating it on the sales ticket . The objective is to halve its marketing by 2026 compared to 2022; in 2030, the decrease should reach 70% compared to 2022. The use of other materials as alternatives to plastic to manufacture these products will be encouraged.

According to the text of the preliminary draft, as of July 3, 2021, the introduction on the market of certain single-use plastic products that already have alternatives made with other materials would be prohibited. These include cotton buds that are not for sanitary use; cutlery (forks, knives, spoons, chopsticks); dishes; straws and drink stirrers; containers, glasses, lids for food and beverages made of expanded polystyrene. Cosmetics and detergents containing intentionally added microplastics are also prohibited.

To reduce the use of bottled water, public administrations will promote drinking water sources and supply it in reusable containers. Hoteliers will have to offer their customers the possibility of consuming unpackaged water free of charge and in addition to the establishment's offer, "provided that the city council or the water supply company guarantees that it is suitable for human consumption."

As of next year, the destruction of unsold surpluses of non-perishable products, such as textiles, toys, electrical appliances, among others, is prohibited , unless such products must be destroyed in accordance with other regulations.

According to the Government, the preliminary draft of the Waste Law has two fundamental objectives. On the one hand, protect the environment and human health, reducing the use of resources and the generation of waste and its impact on the environment. On the other hand, prevent plastics from reaching nature, particularly the aquatic environment.

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