Packaging Law (2001)

This Law regulates packaging which is defined as the aggregate of products attached to goods, which are utilised in order to protect, contain, deliver, preserve, easily use, and sell raw materials and finished goods and to become acquainted with them in the whole cycle of the circulation of packaging from producer to consumer. The packaging and packaging material, which the service provider attaches to products and which after the provision of services returns to the service provider, shall also be considered packaging. Packaging is detached from the goods prior to consumption or during consumption. The purpose of the Law is to ensure the development of packaging production, the introduction of advanced packing technologies and the establishment of a rational packaging waste management system in the State and thereby reducing the undesirable impact of packaging waste on the environment, and for this purpose ensuring the introduction of a voluntary agreement principle in the management of packaging waste; promoting the reuse of packaging; facilitating the reduction of the volume of packaging materials, but not changing either the intended or existing functions thereof; facilitating and ensuring the recovery of packaging waste; and determining the requirements for the packaging permitted for placing on the market in Latvia. The deposit system operator shall refund the deposit fee for the used beverage deposit packaging collected and handed over to the operator in the previous month to the seller of the deposit packaging or the operator of the packaging acceptance point or the manager of the sorted waste collection area, who has entered into an agreement with the deposit system operator and accepts the deposit packaging from the end user, by the twenty-fifth date of the current month, unless another deadline is specified in the agreement for the acceptance of used beverage deposit packaging. The following methods shall be used for the prevention and management of packaging waste: (a) reducing the generation of packaging waste, also reducing the material intensity and hazard of packaging and developing environmentally friendly goods and technologies related to the production, distribution, packaging and trade of packaging, as well as the management of packaging waste; (b) acceptance or collection of reused packaging and used packaging from the end user or from the waste stream, applying the most appropriate waste management method; (c) reuse and preparation for reuse of packaging in an environmentally friendly manner and without compromising food hygiene or consumer safety; (d) recycling and regeneration of used packaging; (e) disposal of used packaging in a manner that does not endanger human life and health, the environment, as well as personal property; and (f) reducing the consumption of plastic shopping bags.