Littering fees for some producers

A single-use plastic product is a single-use product consisting entirely or partly of plastic. It is a single-use product regardless of the amount of plastic content and regardless of whether it is mostly made of plastic or mostly made of another material. 

Plastic is defined under the Single Use Plastics Directive as a material consisting of a polymer according to the REACH Regulation, to which additives or other substances may have been added. It can be used as the main structural component of final products. Natural polymers that have not been chemically modified are excluded. 

Plastics made from modified natural polymers are covered by the Directive. The same applies to plastics made from bio-based, fossil or synthetic raw materials. Biodegradable plastics and polymer-based rubber articles are also covered by the Directive. 

A packaging meeting the following three criteria is defined as a flexible wrapper: 

1. The packaging is a single-use plastic product. 
2. The packaging is bendable. For example, the packaging can be easily bent without breaking and easily opened by tearing, cutting, twisting or pulling apart. 
3. The packaging is used for food intended to be eaten directly from the packaging without further preparation. Further preparation means, for example, boiling, cooking or heating. Washing, peeling or cutting a food is not considered to be further preparation.

Packaging that is flexible wrapping can contain, for example, fresh fruit and vegetables, sandwiches, ice cream, cakes, rice cakes, nuts, snacks, dried fruit, protein bars, sweets, chocolate, crips and dried charcuteries. 

A food container is a single-use food container if it is a single-use product. Food containers are packaging, with or without lids, that are molded or remain mostly unchanged in shape after the contents are added or removed and are used for fast food. Fast food is foods that: 

• are intended to be eaten directly at the point of sale or taken to be eaten elsewhere shortly after sale; 
• is intended to be eaten straight out of the packaging, and 
• is ready to be eaten without any additional cooking, heating or other preparation carried out by the consumer. 

For example, the lunchbox can be used for meals with cold or hot food, sandwiches, wraps and salads. Containers containing fresh or processed foods that do not require any additional preparation, such as fruits, vegetables and desserts, are also covered by the concept of a food container. 

A food container is a single-use plastic product if it is made entirely or partly of plastic. Paper or cardboard-based food containers that have a plastic lining or coating on the surface are also covered and subject to a fee. 

Food containers that are sold empty and are not intended to be filled at the point of sale are also covered. For example, food containers sold in multipacks in grocery stores. 

Single-use plastic lids are lids or drinking caps that are made entirely or partly of plastic. Only single-use plastic lids made for cups are covered.  

Two types of lids covered are: 

Lids: Includes plastic films that seal beverage containers and beverage bottles and cups. These can be peeled or torn off. Once such a lid has been removed by a consumer at the first opening, it cannot be put back on the container. Lids may also refer to certain larger diameter corks or non-round caps.  

Drinking caps: Singe-use plastic lids used to protect the liquid contents but usually without providing a complete seal. They can be put back on the cup after they have been removed without losing their sealing function.  

A cup is defined as a glass, cup or mug, with or without a lid, intended for cold or hot drinks usually drunk directly from the container. A cup is a single-use cup if it is a single-use product. 

A single-use cup is a single-use plastic product if it is made entirely or partly of plastic. For example, when paper or cardboard-based cups have a plastic lining or coating on their surface, they are subject to the requirements and are subject to a fee. 

Single-use cups not intended to be filled at a point of sale are also covered. Examples of such cups are those sold in multipacks in grocery stores. 

Regarding cups, there are guidelines for determining whether the product in a container is a food or a drink, see the section "How is it determined whether the packaging contains a beverage or food?". 

A plastic beverage bottle is a bottle that is a packaging and is mainly made of plastic. 

Please note that only plastic beverage bottles with a capacity of less than 0.6 litres are covered. Therefore, plastic beverage bottles with a capacity of more than 0.6 litres are not covered by the littering fees. Examples of plastic beverage bottles are bottles that contain beverages such as soft drinks, drinking yogurt, juices, smoothies, wine and water. 

A beverage container that is a subject to a littering fee is a plastic bottle, composite packaging or other container that is a single-use plastic product, holds less than 0.6 litres and is intended for beverages and is not a cup. For example, when paper or cardboard-based beverage containers have a plastic lining or coating, they are partly made of plastic and fall within the definition. 

Examples of beverage containers covered are containers for beverages such as soft drinks, milk, juices, smoothies, protein shakes and wine. 

Please note that only beverage containers with a capacity of less than 0.6 litres are covered. 

The general concept of plastic carrier bags is defined in the Single Use Products Regulation as a plastic bag provided to enable consumers to pack and carry goods from the place where the goods are provided. Lightweight plastic carrier bags are defined as a plastic carrier bag with walls thinner than 50 micrometer. Plastic carrier bags designed for long-term use are not subject to littering charges. 

Beverages refer to, for example, soft drinks, beer, wine, water, juice, drinking yoghurt or milk. For example, cooking oil is not covered by the expression because cooking oil is not a beverage. Products that require dilution before consumption are also not counted as beverages. 

When assessing food or beverages, the way of consuming the product as well as the consistency of the product can be used. A beverage is consumed in liquid form and can be consumed by drinking. The unit in which the quantity of the food or drink is expressed may also influence the assessment, where beverages are generally expressed by volume and food by weight. The shape of the container and whether cutlery is required to consume the contents can also give an indication of whether it is a beverage or a food. 

Tobacco products with filters and filters are subject to littering fees.

Filters are those filters that are single-use plastic products and are marketed for use with tobacco products or used in combination with tobacco products. 

Tobacco products are defined as products that can be consumed and consist entirely or partly of leaves and other natural, processed or unprocessed parts of tobacco plants. 

The main product-specific criteria for determining whether a tobacco product with a filter or a filter marketed for use in combination with a tobacco product is covered are as follows: 

• The product is a tobacco product (as defined in point (4) of Article 2 of Directive 2014/40/EU) and the product contains a filter, such as a cigarette or a cigar. 
• The product is a separate filter for use with tobacco products, such as a filter or a mini filter. 

Balloons are defined as single-use plastic products and thus consist entirely or partly of plastic and are not designed, constructed or released on the Swedish market to be used several times during their life cycle. 

Balloon normally means a non-porous bag made of a light material intended to be inflated with air or gas. When these products are placed on the market, they are primarily covered by the following CPV code: Toy balloons and toy balls (37525000-4). 

Wet wipes are napkins consisting of a pre-moistened material containing plastic that has been designed, constructed and placed on the Swedish market as a single-use product. Wet wipes are also defined as napkins used for personal hygiene or in households. 

Wet wipes made of non-natural polymers or natural polymers that have been chemically modified, such as polyester and polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), are subject to littering fees. However, wet wipes made exclusively from natural polymers that have not been chemically modified, such as viscose and lyocell, are excluded.