LATEST ALERTSEnvironment & Sustainability
News analysis
Global business and regulatory news covering the alternative tobacco industry
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Daily regulatory updates of the tobacco alternative sector. It includes weekly podcasts and monthly compilations
28th September 2023
13th September 2023
Italy: Logista Italia and the Italian Federation of Tobacconists (FIT) have signed an agreement with the Ministry of Environment and Energy Security (MASE) to organise the collection of used e-cigarettes and heated tobacco devices nationwide. The organised collection circuit, established by Logista and FIT, aims to increase the collection of these small used electronic devices, free of charge and without the obligation for consumers to purchase a new device.9th August 2023
Denmark: Environmental groups have expressed concern about the danger to wildlife and the environment posed by nicotine pouch and snus littering, press reports. Lars Midtiby, managing director of the Danish Nature Conservation Society, said: “We know from our large waste collection that we are coming across far more nicotine pouches. This is something we need to focus more on.”
28th July 2023
- EU: The new regulation that aims to make batteries more sustainable has been published today in the EU’s Official Journal. As stated in our previous analysis and our database, the regulation will, among many other restrictions, require batteries to be removable and potentially phase out single-use batteries. It will enter into force 20 days after publication, and will begin to apply from 18th February 2024, with a number of different provisions applying at later dates.
20th July 2023
EU: The feedback period for a proposal revealed by the European Commission in March for a directive on substantiation and communication of explicit environmental claims (Green Claims Directive) ends tomorrow, 21st July. The proposal would require companies to substantiate claims they make about the environmental footprint of their products, using standard methods for quantifying them. The aim is to make claims reliable, comparable and verifiable across the EU to reduce “greenwashing”, or giving a false impression of environmental impact. The current Tobacco Products Directive (TPD 2) bars labelling of tobacco products from suggesting improved biodegradability or other environmental advantages, but lacks explicit regulation on the use of environmental claims in commercial communications, which is expected to be introduced by this proposal.
10th July 2023
- EU: Today, the Council adopted the proposal for a new regulation on batteries with the aim of making them more sustainable. As stated in our previous analysis and our database, the regulation will, among many other restrictions, require batteries to be removable and potentially phase out single-use batteries. The vote by the Council closes the adoption procedure. The Council and the European Parliament will now need to sign the regulation, after which it will be published in the EU’s Official Journal and will enter into force 20 days after the publication.
15th June 2023
- EU: The EU parliament approved with nearly unanimous support the proposal for a new regulation on batteries with the aim of making them more sustainable. This is one of the final steps before the proposal is published in the EU Official Journal, and it has been expected since a compromise was reached last December. As stated in our reports and databases, the regulation will, among many other restrictions, require batteries to be removable and potentially phase out single-use batteries.
19th May 2023
- UK: Discussing plastic pollution, member of Parliament Richard Foord raised the role of disposables, cartridges and cigarette butts in the pollution of oceans. “On the subject of smoking and vaping, we have to think about producer responsibility, where the producer has to pay,” said Foord.
24th March 2023
- EU: The EU Commission proposal for the Green Claims Directive requires companies to substantiate claims about environmental footprint with the standard quantifying methods. The current version of the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD 2) already prohibits tobacco product packaging from suggesting improved biodegradability or other environmental advantages, but it does not prohibit this in advertising. Feedback about the proposal can be sent until 19th May 2023.
20th March 2023
- EU: EU environment ministers, particularly from Italy and Belgium, want more flexibility in implementing the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, proposed by the European Commission in November last year, media reports. The regulation seeks to boost waste prevention and recycling by introducing new targets on reuse and mandatory deposit return schemes for used packaging, potentially affecting packaging requirements for tobacco and vaping products. During a debate held in the Environment Council last week, ministers from several EU countries disagreed with the choice of a regulation that would be directly applicable, instead preferring a directive that would allow more flexibility for implementation. The European Commission defended its proposal, specifying that the previous directive has failed to reduce waste. The aim of the debate was to provide political guidance, and we expect further debate before the Council reaches an agreement.
20th March 2023
- Netherlands: Since the minister of infrastructure and water management highlighted the problems around cigarette filters, the government has engaged an independent research and consultancy organisation, CE Delft, to investigate how to reduce the number of cigarette butts on the street, media reports. Researchers estimate that between 0.12m and 3.5m kg of butts end up on the streets in the country annually, representing a danger to both nature and humans. According to the researchers, there are several options for reducing this number, including banning them on a European level, introducing a deposit system, as well as other measures such as starting a campaign to raise people’s awareness about their negative impact. Should any changes be implemented, we believe they would be applicable to the heated tobacco butts as well.
Regulatory reports
Detailed legal reports outlining industry regulation, analysis of the laws, and compliance requirements
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Up-to-date information about current regulations around the world
