Following a newly leaked letter, a sharp conflict has emerged between the world’s largest food and beverage companies and a broad alliance of over 160 environmental and civil society organizations. CEOs from Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, and other global corporations are demanding a delay and the reopening of key provisions of the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), just months before its scheduled implementation in August 2026. Activists are calling on European leaders to protect the landmark legislation and uphold democratic processes, warning of serious risks to public health and the environment.
Leaked letter aims to weaken regulations
On April 29, CEOs from more than 100 food and beverage companies—including global giants such as Coca-Cola, Heineken, McDonald’s, Kraft Heinz, and Mondelez—addressed a joint letter to European Union institutions. In the leaked document, the executives request EU institutions to delay key implementation timelines of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) and revise certain already agreed provisions.
According to environmental and health organizations, if EU institutions give in to these demands, it could severely weaken restrictions on harmful PFAS (“forever chemicals”) in food packaging. Furthermore, fulfilling the companies’ requests would expand exemptions, allowing large volumes of single-use packaging to remain on the market. This move would directly undermine the EU’s objective to reduce packaging waste at a time when waste levels remain high across Europe. Experts find it particularly concerning that a number of signatories and active sponsors of this initiative are headquartered outside the EU, raising questions about the extent to which corporate interests beyond Europe are seeking to undermine democratically agreed EU law.
Response from activists and civil society
In response to the corporate lobbying push, a broad alliance of over 160 Break Free From Plastic members and allies, communities impacted by plastic and PFAS pollution, universities, consumer rights organizations, and businesses committed to reuse have sent a joint letter. In this document, they strongly urge EU leaders to reject the lobbying pressure and uphold the regulation as already agreed by the European Parliament, the Council, and the European Commission.
The alliance warned that reopening agreed legislation at this late stage risks weakening vital environmental protections. It also undermines regulatory certainty for companies that have already invested heavily in compliance and sets a dangerous precedent for corporate influence over environmental laws after their official adoption.
Public commitments versus behind-the-scenes lobbying
Environmental and health groups pointed out a significant contradiction between the voluntary sustainability commitments made by major brands and their behind-the-scenes policy positions. While several signatory companies present themselves as climate and circular economy leaders in public, they are actually seeking to weaken packaging reduction rules, delay chemical safety measures, and limit the implementation of mandatory reuse systems. Advocates emphasize that the PPWR’s mandatory reuse targets exist precisely because recycling alone cannot deliver the structural shift Europe needs to reduce packaging waste.
The regulation—which was one of the most heavily lobbied EU files—was adopted through the full legislative procedure following extensive public and industry consultation. Companies have had years to prepare and received clear regulatory guidance to adapt their business models. The current lobbying push thus causes serious collateral damage to market players genuinely committed to the success of the regulation who have already started adapting their supply chains. For these compliant businesses, this artificially generated uncertainty puts planned investments and innovation at risk.
Statements from organization representatives
Members of the protesting coalition voiced sharp criticism regarding the corporate leader initiative:
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Marco Musso, Deputy Policy Manager for Circular Economy at the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), called the attempt to dilute legislation designed to protect citizens and stop waste growth disappointing. He highlighted that the “usual suspects” behind the letter do not speak for the majority of the packaging value chain, as a multitude of businesses across Europe support the regulation and are already investing to prepare for it.
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Emma Priestland, Corporate Campaigns Coordinator for the Break Free From Plastic movement, called it shocking that some of the world’s biggest plastic users are trying to override the democratic will of 27 countries. In her view, this shows an appalling disregard for the safety and wellbeing of their own customers. She stated that companies should focus on ending their reliance on single-use packaging instead.
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Catia De Cao, from the Italian civil society network Rete Zero PFAS Italia, drew attention to the direct health impacts of contamination. Growing up in Italy’s Veneto region, she personally witnessed the serious health damages caused by “forever chemicals”. She emphasized that people are exposed to PFAS daily through food and beverage packaging, so the European Commission must proceed with the ban to protect health, especially for the youngest generations.
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Sam Pearse, Campaigns Director from Story of Stuff, pointed out that the PPWR is a direct response to decades of fast-moving consumer goods companies shifting to disposable packaging, pushing the social and environmental costs of microplastics and harmful chemicals onto society. He highlighted that some U.S.-based corporations, like McDonald’s, claim to support the law’s intent while pouring resources into weakening it and carving out exemptions.
The power of precedent: The world is watching Europe
According to activists, the outcome of this lobbying effort will be closely watched across Europe and beyond as governments around the world consider similar policies. If corporate lobbying succeeds in reopening a regulation weeks before it applies, it risks signaling that even landmark environmental laws remain vulnerable to last-minute, covert corporate pressure, regardless of the democratic process. The responsibility now lies with European leaders to hold the line on this global benchmark for moving away from throwaway packaging.
References and Related Links:
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Original Source Article (EEB): 160+ environmental and health groups respond to last-minute attempt by Coca-Cola, McDonald’s and others to reopen EU packaging law
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Official EU Legislation (Publications Office of the EU / EUR-Lex): Regulation (EU) 2025/40 of the European Parliament and of the Council on packaging and packaging waste (PPWR)
