European Union published Directive on packaging and packaging waste, 94/62/EC in 1994.  Article 6(1) of Directive 94/62/EC sets the targets for recovery and recycling rates at waste packaging. Member States could set more targets for each packaging material of recovery and recycling rates.

According to Article 3, packaging is defined as「any material, container or wrapping, used for or in connection with the containment, transport, handling, protection, promotion, marketing or sale of any product or substance, including such packaging as may be prescribe」.“Packaging” consists only of

1. sales packaging / primary packaging i.e. packaging conceived so as to constitute a sales unit to the final user or consumer at the point of purchase;
2. grouped packaging or secondary packaging i.e. packaging conceived so as to constitute at the point of purchase a grouping of a certain number of sales units whether the latter is sold as such to the final user or consumer or whether it serves only as means to replenish the shelves at the point of sale;
3. transport packaging or tertiary packaging, i.e. packaging conceived so as to facilitate handling and transport of a number of sales units or grouped packaging in order to prevent physical handling and transport damage.

Essential requirements for recyclable & nature of packaging

• Requirements specific to the manufacturing and composition of packaging
• Requirements specific to the reusable nature of packaging
• Requirements specific to the recoverable nature of packaging

On the basis of Directive 94/62/EC Article 11 in paragraph 1, the sum of concentration levels of lead, cadmium, mercury and hexavalent chromium present in packaging or packaging components shall not exceed 100 ppm by weight after 30 June 2001.