Encouragement of voluntary actions: Support of Plastics Pact NL which has amongst others an ambitious target of 20% reduction of the use of plastics. Progress will be monitored on yearly basis.

The monitoring report covering the year 2019 showed 2,5% has been achieved so far (against baseline year 2017).

Promotion of innovation in packaging or product design to drive elimination of problematic and unnecessary plastic packaging and/or products: Co-funding the so called CIRCO programme. CIRCO activates entrepreneurs and creative professionals to (re) design products, services and business models in order to subsequently do circular business. (e.g. circular alternatives for single-use plastics). https://www.circonl.nl/international/

Promotion of innovation in business models and/or other alternative solutions to drive elimination of problematic and unnecessary plastic packaging and/or products: Co-funding the so called CIRCO programme. CIRCO activates entrepreneurs and creative professionals to (re) design products, services and business models in order to subsequently do circular business. (e.g. circular alternatives for single-use plastics). https://www.circonl.nl/international/

Single-use plastic bags,Single-use plastic cutlery/tableware,Single-use plastic straws, EU Single use Plastics (SUP) Directive bans following products from 1 July 2021: plates, cutlery, stirrers, straws, cotton buds and balloon sticks.

Establishment or revision of legal measures, including bans or restriction on specific categories of plastic packaging and/or products considered problematic or unnecessary: Implementation of EU single use plastics directive from 1-7-2021 onwards: ban on plates, cutlery, stirrers, straws, cotton buds and balloon sticks.

Provide more details about the selected actions - Establishment or revision of Extended Producer Responsibility schemes: - Implementation of EPR for single use plastic products and fishing gear in 2023.

- Widen scope of existing EPR for plastic packaging by including plastic packaging waste from companies. Further optimizing the eco(fee)-modulation.

Changes to public procurement to support products without problematic or unnecessary plastic: Facility service provider for the Central Government (named FMHaaglanden), which is part of the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, will start a dialogue with suppliers for restaurants /coffee-corners of 10 ministries to reduce plastic packaging.

Provision of reliable packaging and/or product information to consumers: Implementation EU SUP-directive: markings for products containing plastics like tabaco-products, hygiene products and cups containing plastics.

Encouragement of voluntary actions: Support of Plastics Pact NL which has amongst others an ambitious target of 20% reduction of the use of plastics. Progress at an aggregated level is followed on a yearly basis.

Promotion of innovation in packaging or product design to drive elimination of problematic and unnecessary plastic packaging and/or products: - Support of Plastics Pact NL with an ambitious target of 100% recyclability and reusability where appropriate, and support for cooperation in the value chain.

- Further support of circular design by the CIRCO programme

Promotion of innovation in business models and/or other alternative solutions to drive elimination of problematic and unnecessary plastic packaging and/or products: - Support of Plastics Pact NL with an ambitious target of 100% recyclability and reusability where appropriate, and support for cooperation in the value chain.

- Further support of circular design by the CIRCO programme

Piloting or scaling up of reuse solutions/systems: Plastic Pact NL has set targets on reuse and reduce of plastics .

This commitment translates into 2 concrete goals for 2025:

1.100% of plastic packaging and single-use products will be reusable if feasible and meaningful, but at least 100% recyclable.

2.There will be 20% less use of plastics for single-use products and packaging.

Members of the workgroup reduce & reuse currently work on implementation of innovative pilot projects in 4 key domains:1) Testing of a reusable cup-sharing service

Establishment or revision of Extended Producer Responsibility schemes: Revisited target for percentage recycled by replacing it by a combined recycled/re-used target for aggregated plastic packaging.

Promotion of collaboration with the private sector, including small and medium-sized enterprises, and civil society organisations: Plastic Pact NL is an vehicle where collaboration and knowledge exchange between private sector, SCO and governments is promoted and stimulated.

Encouragement of voluntary actions: Supporting Plastic Promise of festivals:

1. In 2019 pilots for circular cup system and consumer awareness campaign have taken place.

2. In 2020 LCA study on circular drink cup system finalized. Outcome has been shared with event industry, municipalities and relevant stakeholders.

Piloting or scaling up of reuse solutions/systems: Working Group Reduce & Reuse of Plastics Pact NL will present a reuse roadmap on reuse and will continue to work on pilots and identify opportunities for scaling up of reuse solutions.

Implementation SUP directive: economic incentives and legal restraints for single used plastic items.

Establishment or revision of economic incentives (e.g. subsidies) or disincentives (e.g. taxes, charges): Legal restraints for single use cups and food containers by 2023.

Promotion of collaboration with the private sector, including small and medium-sized enterprises, and civil society organisations: Plastic Pact NL has set targets on reuse and reduce of plastics.

Encouragement of voluntary actions: - Supporting Plastic Promise of festivals: In 2021 LCA tool will be developed for circular cup system. Knowledge and tool will be shared with EU Green Deal Circular Festivals Parties.

- Pilots on re-usable food packaging in 2022.

Establishment or revision of Extended Producer Responsibility schemes: Revisited combined target for percentage recycled/re-used for aggregated plastic packaging.

Encouragement of voluntary actions: Plastics Pact NL working groups Reduction and reuse and WG Packaging value chain installed. Pilots on innovative reusable products (food and drink containers), recyclable PET-trays and recyclable packaging for detergents are being worked on.

Support for research and development of innovative solutions: Support of National Test Center for Circular Plastics (NTCP) (https://ntcp.nl/en)

Development or revision of regulations, standards or guidelines (e.g. standards for on-pack recyclability claims): Draft a legal framework for the use of biobased and compostable plastics (in 2021).

Encouragement of voluntary actions: Stimulate sharing best practices and learnings from the pilots in the two Plastic Pact NL working groups on reduction and reuse and the packaging chain in order to arrive at new industry guidelines for reusability and recyclability in the end.

Support for research and development of innovative solutions: Further investment in the National Test Center for Circular Plastics (NTCP). NTCP has a unique sorting line which is representative for the industry. They test, experiment and investigate how the sorting and washing process of plastics can be improved.

Promotion of collection, sorting, reuse and/or recycling schemes (e.g. deposit return schemes): Legal introduction of a DRS-system for small plastic bottles (smaller than 1 liter) per 1-7-2021

Establishment or revision of economic incentives (e.g. subsidies) or disincentives (e.g. taxes, charges): - Several subsidies for mechanical and chemical recycling (DEI+ (=fund for innovation projects on energy/climate) and individual subsidies).

- Per 1-1-2020 a tax on the import of waste for incineration has been introduced.

The Netherlands has no landfilling for plastic packaging/products. The part which is not recycled will almost completely be incinerated. Only a small (and unkown) part will become litter (no quantative data available).

Promotion of collection, sorting, reuse and/or recycling schemes (e.g. deposit return schemes): Legal introduction of a DRS-system for small plastic bottles (smaller than 1 liter) per 1-7-2021

Establishment or revision of economic incentives (e.g. subsidies) or disincentives (e.g. taxes, charges): Continuation of several subsidies to increase collection and recycling.

Establishment or revision of post-consumer recycled content minimum thresholds: Implementation of EU SUP-directive (mandatory percentage (25%) recyclate in PET bottles) by 2025.

Encouragement of voluntary actions: Plastics Pact NL has an ambitious target of 35% recycled content on average by 2025.

Establishment or revision of post-consumer recycled content minimum thresholds: The NL Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management will strive for an ambitious mandatory percentage recyclate in EU legislation and will study on which product categories are most suited for such an obligation.

Establishment or revision of economic incentives (e.g. subsidies) or disincentives (e.g. taxes, charges): Government has commissioned a quick scan to study the idea of taxation of plastics based upon virgin fossil feedstock (Kamerbrief over onderzoek naar een belasting op plastic | Kamerstuk | Rijksoverheid.nl)

This is a first exploration, which may serve as a starting point, should the upcoming cabinet want to further develop the route of a national tax on plastic. This will require further research into variants and alternatives, and the associated effects.

Encouragement of voluntary actions: The outcomes of the Dutch Green Deal on Trustworthy Claims (signed 7th January 2020) of the use of Plastic Recyclate will be shared in Europe and internationally to enhance a harmonised approach on norms and standards regarding the recycled content of plastic products and materials.

Set up of a litter communication network, with companies, municipalities, NGO´s and others. By aligning our communication efforts we increase the effectiveness of our messages on litter. Further, by collaborating and sharing knowledge the network will enforce stakeholder’s knowledge and capacities (https://schoudersonderschoon.nl/).

Executed study to increased our understanding of litter behavior by young people (12-18 year old). Published feb 2021: https://zwerfafval.rijkswaterstaat.nl/publish/pages/186929/eindrapport_zwerfafval_aanpak_jongeren_2feb_nm.pdf)

Developed a toolkit specifically to tackle chewing gum, which is also a plastic very prone to littering. The toolkit is firmly rooted in behavioral research, the pilot showed a reduction of 80% (https://zwerfafval.rijkswaterstaat.nl/%40237423/toolkit-bekkie-bakkie/).

Addressing the issue of litter and stimulate re-use models. In 2021 the ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management will launch a campaign against litter in recreational parks & nature, together with the partners in the communication network (https://schoudersonderschoon.nl/toolbox/toolkit-campagne-plek-schoon-achterlaten-gefikst/).

Implementation of the Single Use Plastic Directive: this will strongly support behavioral change by eliminating some single use plastic items from the market and introducing behavioral change measures. The foundation ‘Milieu Centraal’, established in 2018 to support citizens in making sustainable choices, will set up a campaign in 2021 to promote re-use.

Introduction of the Extended Product Responsibility (EPR) on single-use plastic products will come into force in 2023. This will make the industry responsible to take behavioral change measures itself.

Ministry/department of the Economy / Finance / Treasury

(1) Plastics Pact NL and the overall national CE-programme with implementation agenda on plastics in particular (2) European Plastics Pact (3) PACE / Global Plastic Action Partnership (4) Plastics Pact Network.

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Impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic: For Plastic Pact NL: Working virtually leads to challenges for stimulating and creating the experience of a vibrant community. For some companies activities had lower priority in 2020 due to a focus on becoming COVID compliant (retailers) and reduced sales volumes (catering industry).

Inadequate information and data for implementation, specify below: Response to the Plastic Pact NL monitoring exercise increased from 42% (baseline report on 2017/2018 in 2019) to 88% in 2020 for the 2019 monitor report, which is positive development. However, the data density per item and category of company varies from 7% to 100%. Next reporting cycle (data on achieved results in 2020) this will be further addressed and investigated to improve the data density.

Other: (1) Prices of and demand for recycled plastics in relation to virgin materials; (2) European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) regulations which hamper the use of recycled plastics for food-contact materials."