SUP legislation: all rules for single-use plastics listed.
Where SUP legislation comes from
The basis is Directive (EU) 2019/904, the European Single Use Plastics Directive from 2019. This directive operates with two different instruments. This distinction explains almost all confusion in the market.
Article 5 of Directive (EU) 2019/904 is a strict ban. Member States shall prohibit the placing on the market of a fixed list of products. This includes disposable cutlery, plates, straws, and stirrers. This ban is the same across Europe.
Article 4 works differently. It requires Member States to demonstrably reduce the consumption of single-use cups and food containers. Each Member State chooses the appropriate measures. The Netherlands opted for regulations per usage situation.
These Dutch elaborations are laid down in the Decree on single-use plastic products and in the Regulation on single-use plastic products. These contain the regulations for on-site consumption and consumption on the go. Directive (EU) 2019/904 does not mention offices or canteens anywhere. This is therefore national policy.
The four rules that affect your organization
Ban on certain single-use products
Since 3 July 2021, certain single-use plastic products are no longer allowed on the market. These include cutlery, plates, straws, stirrers, and cotton swabs. Cups and food containers made of expanded polystyrene are also included. Straws certified as medical devices remain permitted.
Note the difference between selling and using. The ban targets placing products on the market. A store or wholesaler may still sell or use existing stock. This leeway does not apply to disposable cups and containers for on-site consumption.
No disposable cups or containers for on-site consumption
Are your guests eating or drinking on-site? Then they will not receive disposable cups or containers containing plastic. This ban applies to hotels, cafes, and restaurants. It also includes offices, company canteens, schools, sports clubs, associations, closed events, and amusement parks.
There is one exception. This applies if you collect the disposable cups and containers for high-quality recycling. The conditions for this exception will change in 2027.
Reusable alternative for pickup and delivery
When picking up or delivering, always offer your customers a reusable alternative. You can do this with your own reusable cups and containers, or by accepting customers' cups and containers.
Disposables remain permitted in this situation. Customers currently pay an additional charge for plastic disposable cups and containers for takeaway. This additional charge will disappear in 2027, while the obligation to offer reusable alternatives will remain.
Reusable tableware in the office
In the office, reusable tableware is the standard. Offices and company canteens are explicitly included in the ban on on-site consumption. Employees therefore drink from a reusable cup made of glass, porcelain, or hard plastic.
From 2027, this requirement will go even further. Reusable will then be standard for offices, businesses, and other organizations. The exception for this group will completely disappear.
The high-quality recycling exemption
The exception sounds appealing: you can use disposables as long as you collect everything for high-quality recycling. In practice, this requires a closed-loop collection system and demonstrable results, which can be very difficult to achieve.
In an office, production environment, or at an event, this often goes wrong. Cups disappear into the wrong bin or are left on desks, contamination with a tea bag or stirrer disrupts the entire stream, or cups are thrown on the ground and trampled. This makes you lose precisely the evidence you need.
Reusable tableware eliminates that risk. You don't have to demonstrate a collection percentage if there are no disposables in circulation anymore. See how we manage that:
What changes in 2027
The State Secretary is making the SUP rules for cups and containers more practical. The new rules formally come into force in 2027. Three situations will be handled separately.
For offices, businesses, and other organizations, reusable is the standard. The exemption for these will disappear.
For closed events, catering for on-site consumption, day attractions, and associations, reusable remains the starting point. These sectors may use disposables, provided they collect and recycle them.
For consumption on the go, disposables remain permitted. However, you must offer a reusable alternative for those who want it. The mandatory surcharge will be abolished.
Enforcement will align with this new situation sooner. Organizations for which the rules are changing will have a year to prepare. Use this time to calmly arrange your transition.
Do the rules also apply to bioplastic and cardboard cups?
The SUP legislation also applies to bioplastics. This is because the definition of plastic includes chemically modified natural polymers. Products made from PLA or other biobased plastics therefore fall under the same rules. Cardboard cups with a plastic coating contain plastic in part. These also fall under the rules for on-site consumption.
Only products made of paper, wood or other natural materials without additives remain outside the scope. This nuance costs organisations a lot of money. A switch to bioplastic does not solve the problem. A switch to truly reusable tableware does.
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Frequently asked questions about the SUP legislation
The SUP legislation is the set of rules against single-use plastics, based on the European Single Use Plastics Directive from 2019. The Netherlands elaborated this directive in the Decree on single-use plastic products.
We base this explanation solely on official sources. Click through to the document itself:
- Rules regarding single-use plastic, Dutch government: https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/themas/klimaat-milieu-en-natuur/afval/regels-voor-wegwerpplastic
- News item about the change of rules, December 19, 2025: https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/actueel/nieuws/2025/12/19/staatssecretaris-maakt-regels-voor-wegwerpbekers-en--bakjes-praktisch-en-duidelijker
- Single-use plastic: an overview of the rules, Ondernemersplein: https://ondernemersplein.overheid.nl/duurzaam-ondernemen/milieu/wegwerpplastic-een-overzicht-van-de-regels/
- Single-use plastic rule helper: https://regelhulpenvoorbedrijven.nl/regelhulpwegwerpplastic/
- Directive (EU) 2019/904: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/NL/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32019L0904&from=EN
- Decree on single-use plastic products: https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/documenten/2021/06/23/bijlage-1-stb-2021-294-bekendmaking-besluit-kunststofproducten-voor-eenmalig-gebruik-en-wijziging-bbv-2014
- Regulation on single-use plastic products: https://zoek.officielebekendmakingen.nl/stcrt-2022-8376.html#d17e1443
- Packaging Management Decree 2014: https://wetten.overheid.nl/BWBR0035711/2024-01-01
This page was checked on August 13, 2026. Do you have doubts about your specific situation? Please contact us using the form below. We are happy to help, even if you are not yet a customer.
