EU Sets New Rules for Recycled Plastic in Beverage Bottles

On 30 June 2026, The European Commission has introduced a new implementing decision to define how recycled plastic content in single-use beverage bottles is measured, verified and reported across the EU, marking a significant step towards a more transparent circular plastics economy.

Key changes include:

• A single, updated methodology for calculating recycled plastic content in PET bottles
• Legal recognition of mass balance accounting for chemical recycling
• Stronger verification and reporting requirements across the supply chain
• Replacement of the previous framework under Implementing Decisions (EU) 2023/2683

The new system will ensure that there are consistent and comparable data across Member States, whilst supporting EU recycled content targets under the Single-Use Plastics Directive, creating greater transparency and trust in the recycled content claims and helping to build a level playing field globally as recycling markets expand.

The full publication can be found here.