SUP Directive bans and marking requirement entered into force – What happens next?

The Single-use plastic Directive’s bans and marking requirements have entered into force at the end of August 2021. The national implementation of the Directive is still under way and there are more changes concerning businesses to come.

The aim of the legislation on single-use plastic products is to prevent and reduce the amount of plastic waste in the environment and accelerate a transition into a circular economy. National legislation is based on Directive (EU) 2019/904 – on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment.

The aim is to reduce plastic waste with different measures. These are product bans, product design and marking requirements as well as consumption reduction, awareness raising and extending producer responsibility. The choice of measures depends on the product group and for a certain product group there can be several requirements.

The national implementation of the Directive is still underway, but product bans and marking requirements entered into force in Finland on 23.8.2021 concerning certain product groups.

There are further requirements and changes concerning businesses still to come. The national implementation of other SUP Directive requirements are prepared at the Ministry of the Environment during the autumn 2021. Examples of matters under preparation:

• reduction of the consumption of single-use plastic drinking cups and food containers
• product requirements for single-use plastic beverage packages
• extended producer’s responsibility
• separate collection of single-use plastic beverage bottles
• consumer awareness raising actions

The SUP Directive also increases the reporting obligations of producers when information on the amounts of SUP products placed on the markets is needed for monitoring purposes.

Which products come under the SUP Directive? What costs are caused by the SUP Directive?

You will find answers to most common questions on the content and effects of the Directive from RINKI webarticle on the SUP directive

Further information on the national implementation of the SUP Directive on Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency (Tukes) SUP