Single use plastics: What you should know

Do you sell wet wipes? Are you aware of the new EU plastic waste regulation which will affect your products?

 

The new guidelines on single-use plastics

 

Sustainability and packaging waste are recent hot topics in the European Union commission and obviously any new change in the regulation will directly affect cosmetic products being sold on the market.

One of the recent additions to this series of regulations is a new “guideline regarding single-use plastic products”.

 

Be aware of this

 

At PCR, we keep our eyes open for all the changes coming on the market. Based on the new guideline regarding single-ues plastic products, here is what you need to know:

Are your wet wipes made of non-natural polymers or polymers that have been chemically modified?

Examples of materials are: polyester, polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA).

This is the list of wet wipes that is included in the directive for personal care:

  1. Baby wipes
  2. Cleansing wipes for skin (including hands and body)
  3. Disinfection wipes for hands, including if provided to consumers in aircrafts, airports, trains or other venues
  4. Facial/ cosmetic wipes (e.g. facial masks or ‘sheet masks’, face cleaning/ make-up removal wipes)
  5. Intimate care wipes
  6. Toilet tissue wipe

 

What has changed?

 

A new obligatory symbol on your label (Deadline: 4th of July 2022)

Exempt from this new guideline:

Examples of non-chemically modified wipe materials are viscose and lyocell.

If wipes are indented for professional use such as medical or healthcare wipes

 

Do you know about the new marking specifications? Size, Design, where to add the new logos? Or do you want just to check if your products can be included in this guideline?

If you wish to discuss this matter with PCR, please contact us.