Laws and regulations

If you put packaged products on the market and/or import them as a business in the Netherlands, the packaging you use has to be in accordance with the laws and regulations pertaining to the sustainability of packaging materials. These requirements are designed to reduce the environmental impact of packaging materials and packaging waste step by step.

An important regulation is the Packaging Decree, which includes the “essential requirements” and the maximum allowed quantities of heavy metals. The requirements that make up this Decree are drawn from European Directive 94/62/EC on packaging and packaging waste. They are designed to reduce the environmental impact of packaging materials and packaging waste step by step.

Sustainable packaging

KIDV has created a series of factsheets in which information is given regarding the requirements of packaging:

The role of the Dutch Packaging Waste Fund
Companies that put packaged products on the market are legally required to contribute to the costs of recycling. The Dutch Packaging Waste Fund acts on behalf of the packaging industry and has several tasks. These are financed with the waste management contribution that packaging industries pay. This money is also used to pay back the costs of collecting and recycling packaging materials to municipalities.