Europe’s appetite for hemp is increasing and so are the rules around what you can make from it.

Hemp cultivation in the EU has nearly doubled since 2015. It now tops 179,000 tonnes a year. That’s more than steel, wool, or tomatoes in several countries.

France leads the pack, producing over 60% of Europe’s hemp and exporting fibers that end up in bioplastics, car parts, and construction materials across the continent.

But in 2025, the rulebook changes.

EU regulations for hemp plastics, like the  Packaging Regulation (PPWR) specifically addresses bio-based and compostable materials for the first time. 

Meanwhile, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands are taxing or incentivizing plastics based on what they’re made from and how easily they break down.

If you want to keep up (or lead), you need to know where hemp plastic stands in this shifting landscape.

 Which EU regulations or laws govern hemp based plastics?

Hemp absorbs around 9-15 tonnes of CO₂ per hectare in a single growing season.  Since recycling alone cannot absorb all packaging waste, bio-based materials are being promoted alongside recycling to reduce lifecycle emissions and material demand.

Hemp enters the picture as a material that is:

• Bio-based, not fossil-derived
• Sourceable within Europe
• Compatible with compostable and hybrid polymer systems

So, how does the law actually treat it? 

First things first, is hemp plastic legal in the UK?

Hemp cultivation and the use of hemp fibres are legal across the EU under the bloc’s agricultural rules and member state laws.

The crop is eligible for industrial uses, and polymers made from hemp fall under existing EU product and packaging laws. But producers like us at Hemp Foundation have to meet chemical, food-contact and waste rules to place hemp based plastics on the market.

Hemp plastic is regulated through broader EU packaging regulation and product laws.

Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUPD)

The EU first banned some single use plastic products like disposable cutlery, plates, straws, cotton bud sticks. Under the SUPD, bioplastics are still considered plastic. Meaning this EU regulation includes hemp based polymers.

So if a product falls under a banned category, like certain cutlery or plates, it is banned regardless of whether it is bio-based. But “natural polymers that have not been chemically modified” are excluded from some parts of the directive.

The directive also enforces mandatory consumer marking, which is why some bio based products must carry plastic warning labels.  

Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR)

The PPWR, replacing the old directive, applies directly across all EU member states. From 2025 onward, packaging must meet strict design rules.

• Packaging must be recyclable or compostable under defined conditions.
• Compostable claims must be clearly labelled.
• The EU is expected to define bio based packaging targets by around 2027.

These European Union hemp packaging rules addressed bio based materials, including hemp plastics, explicitly for the first time. 

But hemp plastic is only used in single use items and packaging but also used to make construction materials, consumer goods, and durable biocomposites. So how are these products regulated in the EU? 

Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR)

The ESPR working plan for 2025-2030 extends sustainability rules to nearly all products, including textiles/apparel and furniture.

It introduces the Digital Product Passport, which will eventually require disclosure of:

• Material composition
• Renewable vs fossil content
• Lifecycle data

If hemp plastic is used in packaging, electronics housings, or industrial components, this regulation will matter.

In short, EU regulations are not banning hemp plastics but demanding discipline.

Which brings us to money. Because regulation almost always shows up in tax policy.

How do the EU plastics duty and national taxes treat hemp polymers? 

Since 2021, EU member states have paid €0.80 per kg of unrecycled plastic packaging waste. But there is active discussion to raise this to €1.00 per kg in the coming years.

Governments pass that cost down. So, over time, virgin fossil plastics become more expensive to justify.

Italy’s plastic tax

Italy’s “Plastax” applies €0.45 per kg on virgin plastic used in certain single-use products.

What matters here is the distinction:

• Tax applies to virgin fossil plastic

• Recycled or certified compostable content can reduce exposure

Hemp based polymers, when used properly, sit in a far better position than fossil plastics.

Spain’s plastic packaging tax

Spain similarly applies €0.45 per kg on non reusable plastic packaging.

Compostable materials that meet standards like EN 13432 are generally outside the tax scope.

Now, let’s look at some national measures within European countries.

EU countries 

Zoom in and you will find the real action happens at the country level. The EU regulation set the stage but member states lay out the details and the incentives for bio plastics products like hemp based biopolymers.

Here are the three countries shaping the future of hemp bioplastics in Europe.

France 

France is the EU’s hemp powerhouse producing over 70% of the bloc’s hemp.

French policy is a mix of strict bans and active support:

The AGEC Law targets single-use plastics to phase out even compostable packaging by 2040, unless it is home compostable and meets stringent criteria.

ADEME (the French environment agency) funds pilots for bio-based packaging and “France 2030” allocates substantial grants for industrial scaling.

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes mean all industrial packaging will need to meet end-of-life obligations pushing companies to innovate or pay up.

Germany

Germany goes deep on both recycling and the bioeconomy:

The VerpackG law increases EPR fees on hard to recycle plastics, setting a 63% recycling target by 2025.

The government, through BMWK, is actively investing, like the €1.6 million grant for an automated hemp fibre facility.

Agencies such as the FNR (Germany’s Agency for Renewable Resources) co-fund biocomposite pilots are also encouraging hemp in construction and packaging.

Netherlands

The Netherlands leads on circularity, blending strong recycling rules with direct support for bio-based solutions.

The “Circular Economy Program 2023-2030” aims to cut virgin resource use by 50%, hemp fits this target.

Dutch eco-schemes pay farmers to rotate hemp, which supports both soil health and new supply chains.

RVO (the Netherlands Enterprise Agency) also runs “Green Deal” pilots with hemp composites for construction and packaging.

Put simply, strict waste laws and targeted grants are creating both market pull and compliance push for hemp plastics across the EU.

What certificates and labels prove a hemp plastic is compliant?

In Europe, claims without proof don’t survive. So, certification is not optional. Here are some standards and certifications business and customers can look to make informed decisions.

Compostability standards

If a hemp bioplastic claims compostability, it must meet the EU legal requirements and industrial compostability standards like EN 13432 and ISO 17088.

These require:

• 90% biodegradation within six months
• No toxic residue
• Compatibility with industrial composting systems

Without this, “compostable” is a risky word.

Third‑party marks

Certifications like TÜV OK Compost Industrial or DIN-based labels make enforcement easier and buyer confidence higher.

CE marking

Packaging does not require CE marking.

But hemp plastics used in:

• Construction products
• Electrical or electronic components
• Regulated industrial goods

may need CE compliance under sector-specific rules.

Finally, all additives must comply with REACH, and food-contact hemp plastics must meet EU migration limits under food safety law.

In Europe, sustainability only counts when it’s provable.

Deadlines, pellet rules and what’s next

The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) has phased deadlines between 2025 and 2030 to reach recyclability/compostability targets.

Microplastics rules get stricter: by 2026, all polymer processors must have pellet loss prevention plans. This affects anyone handling granules, hemp or otherwise.

The Circular Economy Act (coming 2026) will try to harmonise how recycled and bio based content is counted.

So, Europe is building the most demanding, opportunity-rich market for sustainable materials on the planet. And at Hemp Foundation, we’ve engineered our hemp based products to align with both today’s regulations and the rules coming tomorrow.

FAQs

1. What is the EU regulation on hemp plastics?

There is no hemp plastic policy in Europe. But the EU applies strict rules, SUPD and PPWR, to all plastics, including hemp plastic, to advance the circular economy.

2. Is hemp legal in the EU?

Yes, hemp is legal in the EU for industrial uses but it is capped at 0.3% THC. 

3. What is the EU plastic regulation of 2025?

The EU Packaging Regulation (PPWR) was adopted in 2025 to set new rules on recyclability and bio-based content for all packaging.

4. Are hemp products legal in Europe?

Yes, industrial hemp products are legal across Europe. But the European Union’s packaging rules have laid out certain requirements for hemp plastics packaging. The EU and each member state also have detailed legal requirements for other hemp bioplastic and related products.