European pet food industry joins call for harmonised EU waste sorting labels

EUROPE – The European pet food industry has joined a broad coalition of trade associations urging the European Commission to revise its current direction on EU waste sorting labels, warning that the proposed system could confuse consumers, raise costs for businesses, and undermine the Single Market.

The Fédération Européenne de l’Industrie des Aliments pour Animaux Familiers (FEDIAF), which represents 15 national pet food associations and five manufacturers, is among 70 European associations calling on the Commission to reconsider draft guidelines issued by its Joint Research Centre (JRC).

At the heart of the dispute is the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), adopted earlier this year to replace the EU Packaging Waste Directive. 

The PPWR requires standardised labelling of packaging to boost recycling rates and reduce landfill waste.

But the coalition argues that the JRC’s proposed guidelines—which promote colour- and text-based sorting instructions—could “fragment the EU Single Market, increase operational burdens for businesses, and confuse consumers,” according to FEDIAF.

In a joint statement, the group warned: “As a consequence, a product would have to carry a label with up to 24 local terms, also contravening the objective of the labelling scheme to make sorting instructions clearer to consumers.”

Signatories to the letter include EuroCommerce, FoodDrinkEurope, Flexible Packaging Europe, Independent Retail Europe, Plastics Europe, and the Toy Industries of Europe, underscoring the breadth of opposition across sectors.

Undermining EU harmonisation?

The associations argue that the current JRC approach runs counter to the goals of the PPWR and undermines the EU’s Single Market Strategy, which identifies divergent packaging labels as one of the top ten barriers to intra-EU trade.

Under Article 12 of the PPWR, the Commission is responsible for creating EU-wide sorting instructions. However, critics say the JRC draft risks reintroducing national barriers by mandating translation into multiple languages and imposing complex labelling requirements.

“We therefore urge the Commission to reconsider the current direction of the JRC guidelines and ensure that the future EU labelling system aligns with the goals of EU-wide harmonisation, large-scale recyclability and protection of the Single Market,” the coalition said.

High stakes for packaging reform

The PPWR, which comes into effect in mid-2026, introduces sweeping new rules, including bans on single-use plastic and multi-layered packaging. 

While designed to tackle Europe’s mounting packaging waste crisis, the regulation also presents challenges for industries like pet food, where packaging recyclability remains low.

Currently, an estimated 99% of pet food packaging ends up in landfills, with fewer than one in 20,000 plastic pouches recycled, according to Friends of the Earth.

With over 300 million pets in 139 million European households, FEDIAF said it is committed to supporting policies that balance environmental goals with workable solutions for businesses and consumers.

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