EU's 2028 Reusable Cup Mandate Exposes Washing Capacity Gap
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Hwaseong, South Korea -- The European Union's February 12, 2028 deadline requiring food service outlets to offer reusable packaging for takeaway is exposing a washing infrastructure gap that could determine compliance across the bloc.
EU packaging waste hit 79.7 million tonnes in 2023
The EU generated 79.7 million tonnes of packaging waste in 2023, equal to 177.8 kg per citizen, with only 42.1% of plastic packaging recycled. Global disposable cup demand is projected to reach 491 billion units by 2028, while the UK alone consumes 7 million cups daily, generating 30,000 tonnes of cup waste annually.