PPWR: the new EU Packaging Regulation – this applies now

From 12 August, the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) – the new packaging regulation superseding the previous Packaging Directive – applies across the entire EU. For the plastics and rubber industry, it brings far-reaching new requirements for the design, labelling and documentation of packaging.

The PPWR (Regulation (EU) 2025/40) is the new European regulation on packaging and packaging waste. It officially entered into force on 11 February 2025 and, unlike the previous Packaging Directive 94/62/EC, creates for the first time a uniform legal framework for packaging across the entire EU.

The aim of the regulation is to significantly reduce packaging waste and thereby strengthen the circular economy in the EU. The associated objectives include:

• Reduction of packaging waste
• Improving the recyclability of packaging
• Binding requirements on recycled content, reusability and compostability
• Uniform labelling standards to facilitate correct disposal

From 12 August 2026, the PPWR becomes binding for all companies that have packaging or packaged goods on the European market, or place them on the market for the first time. This affects:

• Companies that design, manufacture, fill or import packaging
• Companies that place packaged goods on the market under their own brand
• Online retailers that ship goods to consumers

Not all obligations under the PPWR take effect immediately. Further-reaching requirements will be phased in up to 2040, including binding minimum recycled-content quotas and broader reuse quotas.

With the deadline in place, the following obligations become particularly relevant:

• Declaration of conformity: manufacturers must use this to confirm, for each item of packaging, that it meets the requirements of the regulation.
• Labelling: implementation of uniform labelling standards
• Reuse requirements for certain packaging formats
• Chemical requirements: for food packaging, new, stricter limits on PFAS now apply, as do limits on heavy metals.

Companies must therefore clarify at an early stage which role (e.g. manufacturer, importer) they hold for their respective packaging – as this determines the specific obligations that apply.