rec_20

(20) Certain single-use plastic products end up in the environment as a result of inappropriate disposal through the sewer system or other inappropriate release into the environment. Disposal through the sewer system can in addition cause substantial economic damage to sewer networks by clogging pumps and blocking pipes. For those products, there is frequently a significant lack of information about the material characteristics of the product or the appropriate means of waste disposal. Therefore, single-use plastic products that are frequently disposed of through the sewer system or otherwise inappropriately disposed of should be subject to marking requirements. The marking should inform consumers about appropriate waste management options for the product or which waste disposal means are to be avoided for the product in line with the waste hierarchy, and about the presence of plastics in the product as well as the resulting negative environmental impact of littering or of other inappropriate means of disposal of the product. The marking should, as appropriate, be either on the packaging of the product or directly on the product itself. The Commission should be empowered to establish harmonised specifications for the marking and when doing so should, where appropriate, test the perception of the proposed marking with representative groups of consumers to ensure that it is effective and easily understandable. Marking requirements are already required for fishing gear pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009.

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Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-10-12 · Text as adopted (Official Journal); later amendments are not incorporated in this text.