Strict assessment results in a regulatory breakthrough in the Netherlands 

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The Netherlands has implemented strict regulations on single-use plastics following the EU’s Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUPD). New taxes on cups, food containers and cutlery containing plastics have been introduced with the scope to push businesses to adopt genuine sustainable solutions - not just those claiming to be. 

Many so-called eco-friendly alternatives still contain microplastics that continue polluting our planet. For this reason, the Dutch government thoroughly started assessing materials and identified alternatives that contained no trace of plastic from beginning to end. 

After nine extensive months of assessing thousands of materials, Notpla was recognised as the first and only material to meet the EU’s strictest plastic-free criteria. Our seaweed coating was analysed and passed rigorous tests by Dutch authorities and external sustainability consultants to achieve this recognition. 

Watch the video below, where our Head of Impact and Sustainability, Hoa Doan, and our Research Director, Louise Anderson, explain more about this breakthrough, what it means for us and the packaging industry and what the process to achieve this recognition involved. 

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Defining plastic-free packaging

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Notpla seaweed-coated food containers have been engineered with the scope to eliminate plastic waste and help make the planet a healthier place, by providing a product that completely disappears - just like fruit.  The magic is in our coating, which thanks to this verification process has proven to completely align with the EU’s definition of plastic-free, meaning that there are no chemically modified or synthetically altered polymers in it. This has established a new standard for genuinely plastic-free packaging and we can’t wait to see the change it brings to the industry. 

Businesses and consumers can be confident that Notpla complies with the strictest single-use plastic regulations and offers a real solution proven to avoid any upcoming bans and taxes that will be implemented across the continent.

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Changes in the packaging market going forward

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Starting from January 2024 our packaging will be available across the Benelux regions following our partnership with Conpax, a leading Dutch manufacturer and distributor within the industry. Together we aim to widely replace single-use plastic packaging units produced in the Netherlands, which could result in eliminating a minimum of 15 million single-use plastics, helping the catering industry reduce plastic waste while providing the same benefits as the items replaced. 

If you are a business ready to join us in restoring planetary health by adopting the only plastic-free solution in the market don’t hesitate to contact us, we can set a new industry standard together. 

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