Is reuse always better than recycling? A critical analysis of the proposed European Regulation on Packaging and Packaging Waste and a debunking of its Impact Assessment study

Do impact studies guide policies, do policies direct impact studies, or are ideologies inspiring both? We analyse the proposed new European regulation on packaging and show that the expected benefits are much lower than those magnified by official declarations. Our debunking of the Impact Assessment study, apart from the specific issues, raises concerns about how the European regulatory process is made. By doing so, we invite readers to reflect on the intricate relationship between impact studies, policy-making, and the ideological influences that may shape both.