The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), formally Regulation (EU) 2025/40, is the most significant overhaul of EU packaging law in three decades. It replaces the 1994 Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (94/62/EC). The shift from a directive to a regulation matters: a directive has to be transposed into 27 national laws, while a regulation applies directly and uniformly across every Member State.

Why the rules changed

Packaging waste in the EU has grown faster than recycling capacity — roughly 190 kg per person per year. The PPWR sets binding waste-reduction targets (5% by 2030, 10% by 2035, 15% by 2040 against a 2018 baseline) and makes producers responsible for the full lifecycle of what they put on shelves.

Who is in scope

Almost everyone in the supply chain: manufacturers, importers, distributors, fulfilment providers and online marketplaces. If you place packaged goods on the EU market — including via cross-border e-commerce — the regulation applies to you, regardless of where you are based.

The core obligations

  • Recyclability by design — all packaging must be recyclable from 2030 (Article 6).
  • Minimum recycled content in plastic packaging (Article 7).
  • Substance restrictions, including limits on heavy metals and PFAS (Article 5).
  • Minimisation — no unnecessary weight, volume or layers (Article 10).
  • Reuse and refill targets for certain formats (Article 11).
  • Harmonised labelling for material identification and sorting (Article 12).
  • A Declaration of Conformity backed by a technical file (Annex VIII).

What you should do now

Start with data. Most compliance failures are not design failures — they are evidence failures. You cannot prove recyclability, recycled content or minimisation without structured, SKU-level packaging data. Building that single source of truth early is the difference between a smooth audit and a scramble before the August 2026 milestone.

This article is general guidance, not legal advice. Always confirm obligations against the official text of Regulation (EU) 2025/40 and any implementing acts.