No ban from 2025 on PET and cans at events in Flanders

The last Council of Ministers of the outgoing Flemish government gave its approval in principle to scrap the ban on PET and cans at events, at the request of the event sector.From 1 January 2025, this measure was to be introduced, on top of the commitments previously taken around reusable cups, but reality on the ground showed that this was not feasible. Fortunately, the industry was listened to.

In 2023, the Flemish government provided stricter regulations for the use of reusable containers at events. From 15 June 2023, events were no longer allowed to use disposable materials to serve drinks, with the exception of PET bottles and cans if the organiser provided a system guaranteeing that at least 95% of those bottles and cans would be collected separately for recycling. From 1 January 2025, that exception would expire. From then on, no drinks would be allowed to be served in PET bottles and cans at events in Flanders.

This provision was dropped on 7 June 2024 as, according to the event sector, it is not yet implementable in practice by that date. To this end, the Flemish Government is amending in principle the decree that establishes the Flemish regulation on sustainable management of material cycles and waste (Vlarema).

The Flemish Government hereby reiterates the sector’s justification that some packaging currently sold in PET and cans only exists in these. Moreover, the developments of alternatives are currently insufficiently advanced or are not simply possible to offer in certain cases (e.g. approved tap water required). A ban on this would therefore in practice merely mean that the packaging would be poured into reusable cups. This would bring no environmental benefit. Therefore, it is preferable to remove this ban on PET bottles and cans to give more time for the industry to adapt further.

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