- EPR registration and reporting in compliance with legal requirements
- Authorization for registration in all EU countries
- Proof of recyclability
- Fulfillment of labeling obligations
- Adaptation to packaging standards
The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) officially came into force on February 11, 2025. Starting August 12, 2026, it will become legally binding, replacing the previous packaging directive. Some requirements, such as recyclability and labeling obligations, will take effect earlier. Businesses should use the transition period to prepare and make necessary adjustments.
Key Challenges of PPWR for Businesses
- Stricter recyclability requirements: Packaging must become increasingly recyclable, often requiring changes in design and material selection. This includes recyclable packaging and biodegradable plastic packaging.
- Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR): Businesses bear greater responsibility for the collection, disposal, and recycling of their packaging. Manufacturer registries and extended producer responsibility are central elements of the PPWR.
- Use of recycled and bio-based materials: The PPWR mandates an increased use of sustainable materials, posing logistical and cost-related challenges for companies.
- Strict reporting obligations: Businesses must regularly submit data on their packaging and recycling rates. Auditing, measurement, and calculation methods play a crucial role in this.
- Adaptation to new packaging standards: Implementing new packaging designs requires investments in research, development, and machinery.
- Regulatory harmonization: Different national regulations may complicate cross-border compliance.
- Consumer awareness: Companies must promote acceptance of new packaging practices and sustainable solutions among their customers. This includes labeling, marking, and information requirements, such as QR codes.
We help you overcome these challenges!
As an experienced EPR full-service provider, we assist you in effectively preparing for PPWR requirements. From sustainable packaging design to fulfilling new reporting obligations, we offer tailored solutions to optimize your processes and ensure seamless regulatory compliance.
Our Services:
Registration & Licensing
The packaging regulation requires manufacturers to register with national packaging authorities.
✅ We provide businesses operating across borders with authorization for registration in all EU countries.
Recycling & Eco-friendly Design
Manufacturers must ensure their packaging is recyclable (criteria to be finalized by 2028).
✅ We support businesses in calculating and meeting minimum recycled content requirements for plastic packaging.
Volume Reporting & Compliance
Companies must regularly report packaging data and volumes.
✅ We assist in correct classification and documentation for regulatory authorities.
Compliance Audits
Producers must conduct compliance checks before placing products on the market.
✅ We help businesses prepare technical documentation, certification, and conformity assessments for audits.
What Companies Need to Know
The PPWR requires companies to design packaging that is recyclable or reusable, minimize material consumption, and promote reusable packaging. Additionally, packaging must be clearly labeled to support the recycling process.
Businesses that place packaging or packaged products on the EU market—whether as manufacturers, producers, importers, or retailers—must ensure their packaging complies with the new EPR regulations. This can be achieved through optimized design and the use of post-consumer recycled (PCR) materials.
The regulation replaces the previous Packaging Directive 94/62/EC and aims to reduce the environmental impact of packaging while strengthening the circular economy.
Why You Should Act Now!
- Legal Security and Avoiding Penalties: Early action minimizes the risk of fines and market restrictions.
- Competitive Advantage and Sustainability: Companies switching to eco-friendly packaging strengthen their image and remain attractive to customers and business partners.
- Supply Chain Security: A timely switch prevents bottlenecks and high conversion costs.
- Future Security and Innovation: Sustainable packaging solutions lay the foundation for long-term market opportunities and new business models.
Impact of the PPWR on Online Commerce
The PPWR affects not only manufacturers and companies, but online retailers must also ensure that their packaging meets the new requirements. This includes selecting materials that are easily recyclable and reducing package sizes to avoid material waste. What does this mean for packaging in e-commerce?
- Recycling-Oriented Design: The components of recycling packaging should be separable and recyclable as individual components, in line with the well-known process of collecting, sorting, and recycling.
- Minimization of Weight and Volume: The weight and volume of packaging should be reduced to the necessary minimum. The goal is to maintain functionality while reducing material consumption.
- Prohibition of Unnecessary Enlargement: Packaging that artificially increases the perceived product volume with double walls, false bottoms, or similar elements is not allowed.
- Maximum Empty Space Ratio of 50%: The empty space in packaging, filled with materials like bubble wrap or foam, must not exceed 50% of the total volume.
Additionally, the European Packaging Regulation PPWR stipulates that the amount of chemicals used, such as those from prints, must be minimized or completely excluded.
While the previous EU Directive 94/62/EC, in effect since 1994, could be individually implemented by the member states, the PPWR as a regulation is immediately applicable in all 27 EU countries. This removes the national implementation process, and companies must adapt to a uniform legal framework for packaging across the entire EU.
Deadlines for the EU Packaging Regulation PPWR
- By 2030, all packaging offered on the EU market must be recyclable.
- By 2035: Most packaging must be proven to be fully recyclable.
- Starting 2035: Manufacturers must prove extensive packaging recycling
EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) and the PPWR
EPR holds companies accountable not only for the manufacturing and distribution of their products but also for the disposal and recycling of their packaging. Online retailers must register in national packaging registers and pay the associated fees.
Additionally, companies selling products in multiple EU countries without a local presence must designate an EU-authorized representative to ensure EPR compliance.
The PPWR presents new challenges for companies but also offers opportunities to improve sustainability and efficiency in packaging design. Companies should begin implementation now to meet the new requirements on time.
FAQ on the PPWR
In which year was the EU packaging regulation PPWR introduced?
The previous EU Packaging Directive 94/62/EC, revised in 2018 by Directive (EU) 2018/85, governs packaging recycling across EU member states. This directive will be replaced by the new EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), adopted in December 2024.
The PPWR came into force on February 11, 2025, and will introduce binding requirements for all 27 EU member states starting August 12, 2026. Companies have an 18-month transition period to adapt to the new regulations.
How does packaging waste affect the environment?
Packaging waste contributes significantly to the pollution of ecosystems both on land and in the oceans. The reason: many packaging materials are not biodegradable. The oceans in particular are already heavily polluted. According to estimates by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), there are around 18,000 pieces of plastic of various sizes on every square kilometre of ocean surface. However, a good 90 % of all waste sinks to the seabed.
In addition, the production of packaging requires considerable amounts of natural resources, such as water and energy, and is therefore responsible for significant emissions of greenhouse gases, which further contribute to climate change.
Although recycling measures can mitigate some of these impacts, challenges remain as not all materials can be recycled effectively. This is precisely where the PPWR comes in.
How much packaging is thrown away every year?
With changing habits and lifestyles, the amount of packaging waste is also consistently increasing every year. Since 1991, when the total figure was 15.6 million tonnes per year, this has risen to 19.7 million tonnes by 2021. In addition to fill sizes and consumption habits, the increase in online retail also plays a significant role in the increase in packaging consumption. The PPWR will also be used here in future and define new guidelines for packaging material in the mail order business.
What are the legal obligations in relation to waste management?
In Germany, the Closed Substance Cycle Waste Management Act (KrWG), along with supplementary regulations, is the central law that governs waste management. The amended Closed Substance Cycle Waste Management Act, which came into force on 29 October 2020, updates German law in line with the EU Waste Framework Directive.
The primary objective of the KrWG and the forthcoming European Packaging Ordinance PPWR is to avoid the generation of waste in general. Companies and public institutions are required to design processes and products in such a way that waste is minimised from the outset. The core of the law is also product responsibility in accordance with Section 23 KrWG, which calls on manufacturers and retailers to design products in an environmentally friendly way. Waste separation and collection, waste disposal and documentation and verification are also key contents and obligations enshrined in the Closed Substance Cycle and Waste Management Act.
In addition to these legal requirements, there are specific ordinances that target certain types of waste, such as the Packaging Ordinance, the Electrical and Electronic Equipment Ordinance and the Battery Ordinance.
Why has the PPWR been revised?
In 2022, a new legal framework for packaging and packaging waste was introduced in the EU, known as the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulations (PPWR). The legislative draft is intended to replace the previous EU Directive 94/62/EC and establish standardised, binding requirements for all 27 EU member states. The PPWR addresses both first-time distributors of packaging and online retailers.
The PPWR focuses on the optimisation of packaging designs and the promotion of reusable systems in order to minimise the consumption of resources and reduce the amount of packaging waste. In addition, the regulation emphasises protection against hazardous chemicals in packaging materials, particularly in plastic packaging.
Companies based in the EU or importing packaging into the EU are equally affected by the new regulations. These strict measures are intended to achieve a more sustainable use of packaging resources and significantly reduce the environmental impact.
When will the PPWR come into force?
The PPWR came into force on February 11, 2025, and will become legally binding after an 18-month transition period, starting August 12, 2026.
What does the EU packaging regulation PPWR say?
In 2020, the European Commission set the target of making 70% of all packaging reusable and recyclable by 2030. The Commission’s legislative proposal is intended to update the EU legal framework for packaging and is part of the European Green Deal. Measures are to be introduced to promote the reuse of packaging and restrict the use of harmful chemicals in food packaging.
Companies are obliged by the extended producer responsibility under the PPWR to bear the costs for the collection and recycling of their packaging. In addition, online retailers must ensure that their packaging fulfils the requirements.