Author: Maria Negut, Head of EU Affairs at European Bioplastics e.V.

The long-awaited EC proposal for Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) was finally published on 30 March 2022, building upon the “Ecodesign Directive”, which currently only covers energy-related products. Part of the Sustainable Products Initiative (SPI), the proposal for ecodesign is one in a series of ambitious Commission proposals aimed at bringing companies in line with the Green Deal ambitions and EU’s sustainability goals.

The framework will allow for the setting of a wide range of requirements, including on:

  • product durability, reusability, upgradability, and reparability
  • presence of substances that inhibit circularity
  • energy and resource efficiency
  • recycled content
  • remanufacturing and recycling
  • carbon and environmental footprints
  • information requirements, including a Digital Product Passport.

Based on the Regulation which provides a general framework for ecodesign requirements for products placed on the EU market, the Commission will adopt a series of delegated acts which will set criteria for different product groups – including plastics. While traditional circular economy principles focus on the end-of-life phase, the current p