December 2022 Newsletter
Newsletter: December 2022
Updated Austrian Packaging Legislation
In January 2023, the updated packaging legislation (Verpackungsverordnung) will come into force in Austria. There are several critical changes that impact foreign producers; many already registered producers must take action to maintain compliance under the new law.
Changes include:
- Online marketplaces are required to confirm that their sellers are properly registered
- Foreign distance sellers must appoint an Authorized Representative for packaging
- Producers from EU Member States who are voluntarily taking over Austrian reseller obligations must also appoint an Authorized Representative
- Non-EU producers cannot voluntarily take over Austrian reseller packaging obligations
Any entity can be appointed as Authorized Representative; if your company doesn’t have an Austrian entity, Accerio will register you with a third-party to keep your registration compliant.
Mexico Draft EEE Packaging Labeling Standard
In August 2022, the Mexican Federal government published a draft of the Official Mexican Standard (Norma Oficial Mexicana or NOM) No. 024-SE-2022 regarding the information to be included in the packaging, instructions or manuals, and warranties of electronic and electric equipment (EEE). The Standard would apply to all new, refurbished, rebuilt, used or second hand, discontinued EEE and household electronic appliances, as well as its spare parts, accessories, and consumables that are marketed in the Mexican territory.
The Draft details the minimum required information that should be included on the packaging or containers, instruction manuals, and warranties of EEE and household appliances. The labeling must contain, among other things, details such as the company name, manufacturing location, product type, electrical characteristics, and hazardous product warning in Spanish. Further information on the format and label dimensions are expected to be included as an Annex to the Standard.
There are specific exemptions for certain types of EEE, though most EEE will require warnings when they are hazardous products. The Standard is still under discussion; contact Accerio for more information if your company places product on the market in Mexico.
Italian Packaging Labeling Requirements
In November 2022, the Italian Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security published their Environmental Labeling Guidelines to provide clarity to the upcoming requirements. All packaging being placed in the Italian market needs to have an environmental label by 1 January 2023.
The obligation is for all packaging to:
- be appropriately labeled in accordance with the procedures laid down in the applicable UNI technical standards
- be appropriately labeled in compliance with the decisions of the European Commission: to facilitate the collection, reuse and recycling of packaging
- provide consumers with proper information on the final destination of packaging
The new Environmental Labeling Guidelines confirm much of the guidance already provided by Consortium CONAI. However, the guideline provides additional clarification on the allowance for digital tools and alternatives for conveying the labeling information. Please reach out to Accerio for additional information and labeling guidance.
Canadian Consultation Papers on Plastics
The Canadian Government published two consultation papers on plastic to guide development of national-level legislation. Currently, Canadian Extended Producer Responsibility laws on packaging are only implemented by a few provinces and territories, with a focus on waste ending up with household consumers. The first consultation paper proposes a federal plastics registry for producers to report on metrics like diversion, reuse, recycling, and energy recovery of plastics placed on the market in Canada. The federal government is hoping to collect data on all plastic packaging, considering a large portion of the market is not captured in provincial EPR programs.
The second consultation paper outlines plastic and compostable product labeling for primary and secondary product packaging as well as single-use and short-term plastic products to reduce confusion and increase the proper sorting of recyclable materials and organic waste. Plastic diversion outcomes are highly dependent on public knowledge of proper waste sorting, which in turn impacts the amount of contamination in certain waste streams. The primary goals of the labeling are to reach zero plastic waste by 2030 and ensure that 80% of Canadians have access to reliable recycling.
Draft legislation is expected mid-2023 and would provide additional details of the proposed labelling and registry.