EU Plastic Tax at €1/kg: How Aluminium Pouches Can Adapt to PPWR

The EU's levy on non-recycled plastic will rise to €1 per kilogram in 2028, up from €0.80. Tied to inflation and written into the bloc's long-term budget, the tax is more than a fiscal tweak — it is a hard push toward circularity. For manufacturers of multi-layer pouches, spout pouches, stand-up bags and liquid packaging, the pressure is mounting.

Aluminium-Plastic Laminates: Strong Barrier, Weak Recycling

• Aluminium-plastic laminates are prized across food, pharma and beverage packaging for their barrier properties.
• Under the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), in force since early 2025, all packaging must be recyclable by 2030.
• The targets escalate: 50% for both plastic and aluminium by 2025, rising to 70% for aluminium and 55% for plastic by 2030.
• Aluminium cans already average a 74.5% recycling rate in Europe — 99% under Germany's deposit-return system. Flexible multi-material packaging lags far behind.
• The obstacle is structural: once aluminium foil is fused with polyethylene or polypropylene, mechanical recycling becomes nearly impossible.
• Aluminium Deutschland warns that food-grade recycled plastic remains scarce, controlled by a handful of suppliers amid fierce global competition.

Innovation Ahead of Infrastructure

• Chemical recycling and delamination technologies, such as hydro-pulping to separate layers, offer a route forward.
• Pilot projects in China have reached 50% recycling rates for similar composites.
• Europe's infrastructure, however, is not ready; recovered aluminium often ends up in lower-grade applications rather than high-barrier packaging.
• Standardised collection systems — a core PPWR requirement — are still missing, which keeps scaling out of reach.

A Patchwork of Policies

• Green taxation is far from uniform: Germany charges producers through its Einwegkunststofffondsgesetz, France relies on extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes, and Italy has pushed its plastic tax to 2026.
• That fragmentation drives up compliance costs for cross-border suppliers.
• According to the European Environment Agency, 18 EU states risk missing their 2025 waste targets.
• Eastern Europe's recycling rates hover at 36-38%, far behind Germany's 99% — a gap rooted in collection inefficiencies rather than consumer habits.

The Way Forward

• Design for recyclability: move toward mono-material structures such as ultra-thin metallisation, or separable layers that meet EFSA safety standards.
• Secure recycled supply chains: long-term contracts with recyclers matter, as Ball Corporation's closed-loop aluminium cups and China's food-grade rPET breakthroughs show.
• Push for harmonisation: advocate for EU-wide EPR and deposit-return schemes; Germany's near-total aluminium recovery rate proves the model works.

The €1/kg tax is not just a cost — it is a signal. The industry must evolve or risk obsolescence. As a supplier of spout pouches, bag-in-box (BIB), stand-up pouches with taps, colostrum bags, liquid packaging bags and laminated roll film, KODY PACK supports food, personal care and liquid packaging customers with structure selection and recyclable design. Contact us for samples and compliance guidance.