rPET approved for food packaging

Thanks to the efforts of the Association of European Businesses, from March 1, 2023, restrictions on the use of recycled polyethylene terephthalate and a mixture of recycled polyethylene terephthalate with basic primary polyethylene terephthalate in the production of food packaging are lifted in the Republic of Belarus.

These changes are approved by the accepted interstate standards:

• GOST 33837-2022 "Polymer packaging for food products. General specifications" (link);
• GOST 32686-2022 "Polyethylene terephthalate bottles for food liquids. General specifications" (link);
• GOST R 70354-2022 "Meat and meat products. General requirements and test procedures to justify shelf life" (link).

For a long period of time, the AEB has been systematically working on interaction with the state bodies of the Republic of Belarus in order to form a country position on the need to support the standards being developed.

In accordance with the National Strategy for Sustainable Development of the Republic of Belarus for the period up to 2035, one of the priorities is to ensure the transition to rational models of production and consumption (circular economy). One of the priorities of the National Action Plan for the Development of the Green Economy in the Republic of Belarus for 2021-2025, approved by the Decree of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus dated December 10, 2021 No. 710 “On the National Action Plan for the Development of the Green Economy in the Republic of Belarus for 2021 - 2025" is the development of circular business models and support for circular suppliers. The use of circular business models is becoming even more relevant due to the need to revise the supply chains of components for the production of commercial packaging.