At the company Orkla Danmark, a wide range of food products are manufactured, and these food products need to be packaged. Therefore, the company and its CEO, Simon Mosegaard Fibiger, are currently facing quite a headache. From today, Danish companies must comply with a number of requirements under the EU's new packaging regulation. This regulation means that Danish companies must, among other things, adhere to rules on packaging design and limit values for heavy metals and PFAS. The problem is that the final guidance for the regulation, nearly 70 pages long, was only published on August 3rd – nine days before it comes into force. And this is causing deep furrowed brows at Simon Mosegaard Fibiger. "We fully support the goal of reusing and reducing packaging, but being asked to do so with very complex rules within such a short timeframe, we consider unprofessional, and it puts us as a supplier in a very, very difficult position," he says.
Orkla Danmark consists of several brands that develop, produce, package, market, and distribute food products. (Photo: © Tim Kildeborg Jensen, Ritzau Scanpix)
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A jar of red cabbage hits the nail on the head
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The aim of the EU's new packaging regulation is to reduce packaging waste and create more uniform rules across the EU. At the same time, packaging must to a much greater extent be recyclable or reusable. The regulation was adopted in December 2024, and since then, companies have been able to follow the development of the regulation. But even now, a good 1.5 years later, there are still many unanswered questions, according to Simon Mosegaard Fibiger. "There are several uncertainties at the moment regarding the packaging itself, what documentation is required, and exactly how it should be done. This is something we need to spend more time understanding together with our suppliers. So there are many things, when it comes to the documentation, that are still unclear, and that makes it difficult for us to implement it."
He uses a jar of red cabbage as an example. The packaging consists of, among other things, glass, lid, seal, label, glue, and printing inks. In addition, there are cardboard boxes, film, pallets, and transport labels. "We need to be able to document weight, suppliers, material type, and recycling of the material, and we also need to take responsibility for all of this at the same time. It's not as simple as it should be." Have you been well enough prepared? "It has been difficult to be prepared because we actually don't know exactly what the requirements are until they are published."
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Fear of sanctions
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It is not only Orkla Danmark that is scratching its head. The business organization Dansk Industri (DI) is also feeling how the new regulation, which comes into force today, is causing problems. Emil Fannikke Kiær, director of business and membership at DI, says he has yet to hear from a single company that is ready for the new rules. "That is also why we are asking the Danish authorities, with whom we otherwise have a good dialogue, not to go out with the fine book and hand out fines from the start, so that companies have a chance to act on this," he says.
> The fact is that Danish companies must live up to this
> Henrik Beha Pedersen, founder of Plastic Change
Dansk Industri and Orkla Danmark emphasize that they both support rules in this area, but right now it is a somewhat overwhelming task. "It's like a bureaucratic sprint with a blindfold on," says Emil Fannikke Kiær. Dansk Erhverv and SMVdanmark also warn of a large bureaucratic burden that is unrealistic for small businesses.
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'Get on the horse'
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Henrik Beha Pedersen, however, does not buy that explanation. He is the founder of the association Plastic Change and believes that companies must step up to the plate. "You just have to say, well, get on the horse. If you want to sell a product, you must also be responsible for the packaging that comes with it." But can't you also understand their point of view? They only received the final guidance last week. "The fact is that Danish companies must live up to this. They have known about it, and it has been a long time coming. Companies should actually see it as a huge opportunity: if they reduce the amount of packaging, their costs will decrease."
From today, the name and contact address of the manufacturer or importer must be clearly stated on the packaging. (Photo: © Bo Amstrup, Ritzau Scanpix)
Simon Mosegaard Fibiger from Orkla Danmark estimates that the company will need a full year to implement it if it is not to be sanctioned. It has not been possible to get a comment from the Minister for Climate, Energy and Utilities, Samira Nawa (R), regarding whether the authorities intend to hold back on fines. However, the ministry states in a written comment that the Danish Energy Agency, which will be responsible for supervision, will "show discretion" and that "companies must have the opportunity to adapt". It is the European Commission that interprets the rules, and the ministry concedes that it has been a slow process. DR News has reached out to the European Commission to ask how it can be that companies only received the final guidance nine days before the first parts of the regulation come into force, but it has not responded to our inquiry.
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