Plastic 2025–2026: regulation, materials, climate and the responsibility of tourism
Since 2021, I have been writing about plastic because it is one of those issues that cuts across everything: economic models, industrial policies, waste management, the climate crisis and biodiversity.
Over the years, the European regulatory framework has become increasingly stringent, while the national context – particularly in Italy – has been marked by delays, compromises and ambiguities.
The 2025–2026 biennium represents a key turning point, not so much because “new bans are coming”, but because it is becoming clear that the plastic problem can no longer be addressed in isolated silos.
The European reference framework: from the SUP Directive to the new Packaging Regulation
The SUP (Single Use Plastics) Directive
Directive (EU) 2019/904 on single-use plastics marked the first real paradigm shift:
no longer focusing solely on waste collection and recycling, but on reducing at source products considered avoidable.
Straws, cutlery, plates, cotton buds, beverage stirrers and expanded polystyrene food containers have been progressively banned.
In Italy, the directive was transposed through Legislative Decree 196/2021, but with exemptions and interpretations that slowed down its real impact.
I had already analysed this framework, both at European and national level, here:
👉 https://sustainabletourismworld.com/plastic-sector-in-italy-and-europe/
The new European Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR)
With the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), definitively approved at EU level between 2024 and 2025, the approach shifts once again:
no longer directives to be transposed, but rules directly applicable in all Member States.
The regulation:
- introduces binding targets for reducing packaging waste
- limits unnecessary packaging and single-portion formats
- promotes reuse, refill and standardisation
- strengthens producer responsibility
As also reported by La Repubblica, one of the most debated measures is the progressive ban on single-use sachets for sauces and condiments, widely used in hospitality and food service:
👉 https://www.repubblica.it/green-and-blue/2026/01/21/news/bustine_ketchup_maionese_vietate_europa-425109632/
The regulation will apply from 12 August 2026, but the message for businesses is already clear: this is no longer the time for small adjustments.
Institutional sources:
- European Commission – Packaging and Packaging Waste:
https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/waste-and-recycling/packaging-waste_en - Council of the EU – Sustainable Packaging:
https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/policies/packaging/
Italy: plastic tax and incoherent policies
Within the European context, Italy continues to move in an ambiguous direction.
The plastic tax
Introduced to discourage the use of virgin single-use plastic, the Italian plastic tax has been repeatedly postponed and progressively stripped of its original function.
This has produced two main effects:
- a weak signal to industry
- the loss of a key economic lever to accelerate innovation
In a country strongly dependent on tourism, where single-use plastic is still considered “functional” to seasonality and high volumes, postponing the plastic tax has also had a concrete impact on the service sector.
Bioplastics: alternative or illusion?
In recent years, as I have already analysed, bioplastics have often been presented as an almost automatic solution to the plastic problem.
👉 https://sustainabletourismworld.com/the-plastic-problem-tourism-and-unexpected-solutions/
Reality, however, is more complex:
- many bioplastics are compostable only in industrial facilities
- adequate collection and treatment systems are often missing
- the risk of confusion for consumers and operators is high
Replacing conventional plastic with “bio” materials without reducing overall volumes means shifting the problem, not solving it.
Plastic and climate change: a systemic connection
One aspect that is still underestimated is the link between plastic and the climate crisis.
Plastic:
- is largely derived from fossil fuels
- generates emissions throughout its entire life cycle
- indirectly contributes to global warming even at the disposal stage
Continuing to produce and consume plastic at current levels is incompatible with European climate targets.
This issue is particularly relevant for tourism, a sector already under scrutiny for its direct and indirect emissions.
From storytelling to action: why I chose to support Seabin
Over the years, I have described the problem, the policies, the contradictions and some unexpected solutions.
In 2025, I decided to support Seabin, a project I have been following for a long time.
Not because it represents “the solution”, but because it:
- intercepts plastic waste before it turns into microplastics
- operates in port and tourism contexts
- combines technology, data and awareness-raising
It is a concrete example of how local actions can engage with global challenges, without technological illusions but with responsibility.
The tourism sector: beyond regulatory compliance
In 2024, I had already attempted to take stock of the relationship between plastic and tourism. Today, in light of the new regulations, the issue has become even more urgent.
When plastic is discussed, tourism and hospitality are often described as “hard-to-transform” sectors: seasonality, high visitor numbers, hygiene requirements, complex logistics.
All real arguments – but ones that, in recent years, have increasingly turned into alibis.
European rules on packaging and single-use plastics directly affect hotels, restaurants, bars, catering services, beach facilities, cruises and tourism services in general.
However, reading these rules simply as a list of bans misses the central point: plastic in tourism is not just a regulatory issue, it is a model issue.
Hospitality: rethinking the experience, not just the materials
In hospitality, plastic is often justified as a synonym for convenience and safety.
Single-use toiletries, bottled water, sachets and individually packaged amenities have become part of the standard hotel experience.
Yet hospitality has a unique competitive advantage:
it can educate without imposing, tell stories without moralising, and demonstrate that alternatives work.
An increasing number of properties are showing that:
- removing single-use amenities does not worsen the guest experience
- well-designed refill systems increase perceived quality
- plastic reduction can become part of a property’s identity and narrative
In this sense, anticipating European bans on single-portion formats is not only an environmental choice, but a strategic one.
Food service and catering: the issue of “invisible” single-use plastic
While attention often focuses on plates and cutlery, the real issue in food service is “invisible” plastic:
sachets for sauces, sugar and salt, individual portions and secondary packaging.
The new European Packaging Regulation targets precisely this level, often taken for granted.
For tourism-related food and beverage services, this means:
- rethinking service design, not just materials
- shifting from “standardised portions” to on-demand serving
- reducing waste and packaging at the same time
The challenge is not to find a compostable alternative to the sachet, but to eliminate the sachet as a concept.
Organised tourism and destinations: responsibility beyond the single business
Tour operators, DMCs and destinations play a role that is often underestimated.
They are not just intermediaries, but architects of the tourism experience.
Introducing plastic reduction criteria:
- in supplier contracts
- in accommodation selection
- in tenders for events and services
means acting upstream, before plastic becomes waste.
Destinations, in particular, can:
- create public refill systems (water, products)
- harmonise rules for operators and concessionaires
- support waste prevention and recovery projects
This is where initiatives like Seabin gain both symbolic and practical value: not as a single solution, but as a political and cultural signal in areas under high tourism pressure.
Plastic, climate and reputation: a growing risk for tourism
The link between plastic and climate change makes the issue even more sensitive for tourism.
A sector already expected to reduce emissions cannot ignore a material that:
- is largely fossil-based
- contributes to emissions throughout its life cycle
- damages the ecosystems that form the very foundation of tourism supply
Beaches, seas, lakes and natural landscapes: without healthy ecosystems, there is no tourism.
In this context, plastic also becomes a reputational risk.
Guests, travellers and stakeholders are increasingly attentive to the coherence between sustainability claims and real practices.
Beyond “doing less harm”: tourism as a lever for change
Tourism carries a particular responsibility:
millions of people come into contact every year with places, services and consumption models through travel experiences.
Reducing plastic in tourism means:
- influencing behaviour beyond the trip itself
- normalising alternatives to single-use
- making change visible and tangible
It is not about perfection, but about direction.
Plastic, tourism and the future: a matter of model
The debate on plastic is often framed as a technical issue: alternative materials, recycling rates, new European rules. All necessary elements, but insufficient if taken in isolation.
For tourism and hospitality, plastic is first and foremost a question of economic and cultural models.
A sector built on the quality of places, experiences and relationships with territories cannot continue to accept a system that generates waste destined to remain in the environment far longer than the duration of a trip.
Plastic – especially single-use plastic – is the most visible expression of a structural contradiction: immediate convenience versus permanent impact.
New European rules mark an important turning point, but they are not the finish line. They represent the minimum level of responsibility required of a sector that increasingly speaks about sustainability, resilience and regeneration.
The future of tourism will not depend on its ability to adapt to yet another regulation, but on its willingness to rethink processes, relationships and priorities.
Reducing plastic does not simply mean changing suppliers or materials: it means questioning what is truly necessary, what adds real value to the experience, and what is merely habit.
In this sense, local initiatives, individual choices and projects like Seabin are not miracle solutions, but directional indicators. They show that it is possible to take direct responsibility, even in a complex sector like tourism, without waiting for every answer to come from above.
If tourism wants to continue presenting itself as part of the solution – and not merely as a beneficiary of natural resources – it must start here:
with the reduction of the most visible, most widespread and most symbolic impact.
Because without healthy seas, lakes, landscapes and communities, tourism loses its meaning even before it loses its market.
Sources and references
European policy and regulatory framework
European Commission – Packaging and Packaging Waste
Overview of EU policies and measures on packaging waste reduction, reuse and recycling, including the new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR).
https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/waste-and-recycling/packaging-waste_en
Council of the European Union – Sustainable Packaging
Official information on EU negotiations and approval of new rules for sustainable packaging and waste reduction.
https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/policies/packaging/
European Union – Single Use Plastics Directive (EU) 2019/904
Legal framework on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment.
https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/plastics/single-use-plastics_en
National context – Italy
Legislative Decree No. 196/2021 (Italy)
Transposition of the EU Single Use Plastics Directive into Italian law, including exemptions and specific national provisions.
https://www.gazzettaufficiale.it/eli/id/2021/11/30/21G00214/sg
Italian Plastic Tax – background and updates
Official and institutional references on the Italian plastic tax and its postponements.
https://www.mef.gov.it/focus/Plastic-Tax/
Media and journalistic sources
La Repubblica – Green & Blue
“Bustine di ketchup e maionese vietate in Europa: cosa cambia con le nuove regole UE sugli imballaggi”
Article on the progressive ban of single-use sachets and the impact of the new EU Packaging Regulation on hospitality and food service.
https://www.repubblica.it/green-and-blue/2026/01/21/news/bustine_ketchup_maionese_vietate_europa-425109632/
Plastic, climate change and systemic impacts
European Environment Agency (EEA)
Reports and data on plastics, fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions across the life cycle.
https://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/waste/plastics
UN Environment Programme (UNEP)
Global assessments on plastic pollution, climate impacts and systemic solutions.
https://www.unep.org/plastic-pollution
Tourism, plastic and sustainability – previous articles
Plastic sector in Italy and Europe (2022)
Analysis of European and Italian plastic policies and their implications for different sectors.
https://sustainabletourismworld.com/plastic-sector-in-italy-and-europe/
The plastic problem: tourism and unexpected solutions
Reflections on plastic reduction, alternative approaches and emerging solutions in tourism contexts.
https://sustainabletourismworld.com/the-plastic-problem-tourism-and-unexpected-solutions/
Plastic and the tourism sector – 2024 update
Focused analysis on plastic use in tourism, hospitality and destinations.
https://sustainabletourismworld.com/plastic-and-the-tourism-sector-2024/
Projects and initiatives
Seabin Project
Floating waste interception system designed for marinas, ports and coastal tourism areas, combining technology, data and awareness.
https://seabinproject.com/
Plastic and the tourism sector - 2024
Today, I present an update on the topic of plastics, in particular, on what has been done to reduce (consumption), reuse (of the product), and recycle.
You can read the first article of 2022 by clicking on the title “Plastic data in Italy and Europe”.
Are you wondering what motivates the tourism sector to be against plastic pollution? I am; let’s talk about that, too.
What drives the tourism sector to deal with the plastic problem?
- Immense traditional use of single-serve in hospitality for both courtesy sets and breakfasts.
- Massive use of plastic containers for food delivery or take away by guests.
- Heavy use of plastic bottles for water during excursions.
These three situations generate considerable disposal costs for the operators. In addition,
- the visible and abundant pollution of plastic makes places ugly.
- The phenomenon is global and globally criticised; no place is safe, not even the ocean or Antarctica or any remote island. This approach creates sensitivity.
- The proposed clean-up activities are always well received by the public.
Unfortunately, operators often have backward hygienic rules; this does not help to change attitudes, improve one’s proposal, or strive to find better suppliers.
The key tourism-related issues in this update (to be reviewed in April when the 2023 report comes out) are:
- the single-serve;
- existing alternatives to plastic to be used when single-serving is mandatory;
- the recovery of plastic waste.
Plastic data update in early 2024
The pillar objectives around which it is agreed to build policies that can contribute to climate neutrality goals and, at the same time, address the problem of plastic pollution, in order of cost and time horizon of effects, are:
- Reduction in plastic consumption
- Increased recycling and reuse rates,
- Use of bioplastics
Two scenarios to 2050 (current policies and best case) have been elaborated on by the think tank ECCO regarding plastic consumption in Italy and the CO2 emissions associated with this consumption.
In the 2050 Current Policies Scenario, plastic consumption is assumed to increase by 5% every six years, as observed in 2011-2017.
In the 2050 Best Case Scenario, on the other hand, it is assumed that by eliminating overpackaging and reducing the consumption of single-use plastic packaging and plastic consumption in other sectors as well, the consumption growth trend will be reversed, reaching 3.8 Mt in 2050.
The emissions associated with this plastic consumption were then calculated. The plastic consumed and not the plastic produced is considered since Italy is a large consumer of plastics, but polymer production is low. The Current Policies 2050 Scenario assumes that more than half of the plastic placed on the Italian market is fossil, and the remaining is from recycled or biobased material.
Considering end-of-life, 70% of post-consumer plastic waste is assumed to be recycled; the rest is destined for waste-to-energy or industrial composting. This scenario results in a 9% reduction in emissions compared to 2020.
In the 2050 best-case scenario, it is assumed that no more fossil-based plastics will be placed on the Italian market but only produced from recycled and biobased plastics.
Accepting European calls for the elimination of landfilling and the reduction of CO2 emissions through incineration, it is assumed that more than 90% of plastic waste will be recycled, thanks to significant improvements in plastic collection, sorting and recycling. In this scenario, an emission reduction of 98% compared to 2020 is achieved.
The 2050 best-case scenario is very ambitious. To achieve the best case, it is necessary to implement various existing policy instruments that are optional in Italy’s case.
The deposit system is, for example, an effective tool to increase packaging reuse and recycling rates.
In countries where this recycling system is required by law, beverage container collection rates of up to 94% are achieved (Lithuania, Denmark, Finland, Norway, the Netherlands and Germany).
In Italy, a specific regulation introducing deposit systems for plastic beverage containers was included in the Simplification bis decree of 2021; the implementation of the decree is still to be issued so that the system can come into force. However, it is also important to say that the timeframe required by Europe (by 2029) is very long. If we add to this the long timeframe for implementing rules in Italy, as Italian I can tell, we understand why deposit systems still need to be compulsory in Italy.
In hotels and any activity where people are guided, the bail system partially requires the guest’s cooperation and organisation and a positive and engaging approach from the staff.
The informed and involved guest will always be more willing to cooperate, even if their habits at home are different.
The introduction of regulatory instruments to encourage the transition from disposable to reusable products plays a decisive role in the policies adopted in several European countries.
Taking French legislation as an example, in Italy, a reuse target for all types of marketed packaging could be introduced in steps of 5% by 2024 and 10% by 2028.
In the case of the hotel, switching from single-serving breakfast products to products in glass bottles would already be a step forward; it is more complicated to speak of reusable when there are hygienic rules to be followed (however, sterilised and labelled containers may be one way). In the case of activities such as tours, switching from plastic products to products in aluminium or glass containers (in the case of juices, tea, water, wine, etc.) is already possible.
It would be great to add the combination of a water bottle and the presence of fountains where water can be filled at the destination to help remove the disposable habit.
To improve the quality of recycling and reduce the need for virgin plastic, it is possible to intervene upstream with a product design that aims to simplify polymer compositions and the disassembly of products into homogeneous components from the point of view of the constituent polymer.
In this case, the tourism sector can contribute to the improvement through the choice of materials, suppliers and knowledge of the products we buy for everything from furniture to the decoration on display, from courtesy sets to food containers in the kitchen.
Plastic tax and European SUP Directive
Plastic Tax
The European Union has also introduced a plastic tax of 0.8 €/kg on non-recycled plastic packaging waste produced in each Member State.
The cost for Italy is expected to be around €900 million per year, and these contributions are allocated to the EU budget, which is used to finance the Recovery Plans. The €900 million contribution that our country has to pay to the European Union, if not collected by the national plastic tax, is a burden on the state budget.
The Italian plastic tax was introduced with the Budget Law 2020 and was supposed to come into force in the summer of 2020 but was then postponed to January 2021, July 2021, January 2022, January 2023, and January 2024.
The Budget Law 2024, in force since 1 January, postpones the effectiveness of the so-called plastic tax and the sugar tax established by the Budget Law 2020 to 1 July 2024 in Article 11, paragraph 1.
European SUP Directive
The European Commission has introduced new regulations concerning disposable plastic products, commonly found as litter on European beaches and seas, and fishing equipment that is accidentally lost or abandoned.
The directive introduces several measures, including:
- A ban on the sale of many disposable plastic products for which alternatives with a lower environmental impact are already available (cotton swabs, cutlery, plates, straws, drink stirrers, balloon poles, expanded polystyrene food and beverage containers, expanded polystyrene beverage cups).
- Targets for reducing the consumption of beverage cups and some disposable plastic food containers.
- Design requirements for plastic beverage bottles (caps shall be attached to containers, and PET bottles must contain at least 30% recycled material by 2030 of recycled material by 2030).
- establishment of extended producer responsibility schemes for certain types of plastic products other than packaging (filters for tobacco products, balloons, wet wipes and fishing gear), also including the costs necessary for the removal of related waste if dispersed in the environment.
- separate collection targets for plastic beverage bottles with a capacity up to three litres (90% by 2029).
Sara
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