Italy decree mandates compostable packaging where EU plans outright bans

Italy has issued a national decree requiring formats such as small produce packs, condiment sachets and hotel toiletry bottles to be certified compostable and processed through its domestic biowaste infrastructure. The move diverges from the EU-wide Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, which plans to ban these single-use formats outright from 2030, creating a fragmented compliance landscape for converters exporting into Italy.

Why this mattersConverters serving Southern Europe must now run dual compliance tracks, certified compostable polymers for Italy versus recyclable conventional plastics elsewhere, raising production and segregation costs.

• Italy's decree covers small produce packs, condiment sachets and hotel toiletry bottles
• Formats must be certified compostable and processed via Italy's domestic biowaste collection and industrial composting network
• The EU's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation plans to ban these same single-use formats outright from 2030
• The divergence affects exporters including UK packaging converters and Turkish plastic manufacturers selling into Southern Europe
• Compliant materials cited include PLA and PBAT

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