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Read More about ASDA GeorgePPWR Regulation Overview
The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) sets coordinated rules on packaging recyclability, recycled content, reuse, labelling and reporting for all packaging placed on the EU market. It entered into force on 11th February 2025 and applies from 12th August 2026, replacing the previous Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive.
What is the PPWR?
PPWR is the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, formally known as Regulation (EU) 2025/40. It is the most significant overhaul of European packaging law since 1994, and it governs how packaging is designed, produced, labelled and managed across its full life cycle, from design through to end of life.
PPWR now replaces the previous Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (94/62/EC), and the distinction is very important. A directive has to be transposed into national law by each member state, which has led to differing rules across the EU. Whereas regulation applies directly and identically in every member state. The aim is one harmonised set of rules across all 27 countries, reducing any previous fragmentation that has made cross-border packaging compliance so complex.
The regulation covers all packaging placed on the EU market, regardless of the material used, whether empty or filled, business-to-business or business-to-consumer. Its purpose is to reduce packaging waste being generated, increase reuse and recycling, cut the use of virgin materials, and support the move to a circular economy.
Who does PPWR apply to?
If your business places packaging or packaged goods on the EU market, PPWR applies to you. It’s in place to set obligations for businesses across the supply chain, including: Manufacturers of packaging, producers, meaning companies that place packaging or packaged products on the market, including those using their own-brand packaging, importers and distributors, and online marketplaces and e-commerce operators, who now carry responsibility for the third-party sellers using their platforms.
More importantly, PPWR is based on where goods are sold, not where a business is based. UK and other non-EU companies that export packaged goods into the EU still need to comply. The regulation also applies to packaging placed on the market in Northern Ireland. Different sectors face different challenges. Food and drink businesses, for example, must manage complex packaging materials, food-contact requirements and high volumes, all at once.
What does PPWR require?
PPWR introduces requirements that touch the entire packaging life cycle. Many of the detailed technical requirements are still being scoped through delegated and implementing acts, which the European Commission is publishing on a rolling basis. The Commission published its final guidance document and an official FAQ on 30th March 2026 to confirm how the rules should be applied. The headline obligations are:
Recyclability by design
All packaging must be designed for recycling against defined criteria, with a grading system from A to C. Over time, only the higher grades remain permitted.
Recycled content
Minimum recycled content thresholds apply to plastic packaging, and are set to increase further over time.
Reuse and refill targets
Certain sectors, including the takeaway sector for food and drink, will face strict reuse obligations.
Packaging minimisation
Packaging needs to be minimised to what is necessary, both in weight and volume, while still protecting the product.
Empty space ratio
A maximum space ratio of 50% applies to grouped, transport and e-commerce packaging.
Harmonised labelling
Packaging must carry standardised waste-sorting labels so consumers can dispose of it correctly, replacing the patchwork of national symbols.
Restrictions on substances of concern
From 12 August 2026, PPWR restricts per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in food-contact packaging above certain thresholds.
Deposit return systems
Member states must now ensure a deposit return system is in place for single-use plastic beverage bottles and metal cans.
Conformity assessment and documentation
Manufacturers must complete a conformity assessment procedure and draw up a Declaration of Conformity for their packaging.
PPWR timeline and key dates
PPWR does not arrive all at once. Understanding when each stage takes effect is essential for businesses needing to plan a compliance strategy and avoid disruption.
- 11th February 2025: the regulation entered into force, starting the transition.
- 12th August 2026: the regulation becomes applicable. The Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive is repealed, and several provisions take effect immediately, including the PFAS restriction on food-contact packaging.
- Around 12th August 2028: harmonised waste-sorting labels are expected to become mandatory on most packaging, subject to the relevant implementing acts.
- 1st January 2030: design-for-recycling criteria, minimum recycled content thresholds, single-use packaging restrictions, packaging minimisation rules and certain EPR fee changes apply.
- 2035: packaging must be recyclable at scale through established infrastructure, alongside waste reduction targets.
- 2038: only packaging graded A or B may be placed on the market.
- 2040: higher minimum recycled content thresholds apply.
Because the framework continues to develop through delegated and implementing acts into the late 2020s and beyond, businesses that begin preparing now will have time to redesign packaging, adjust supply chains and put reporting in place before the hardest deadlines hit.
Learn how the timings impact youPPWR and packaging EPR
Extended Producer Responsibility sits at the heart of PPWR. Under the regulation, producers now have the financial responsibility for the full life cycle of their packaging, with collection, sorting, recycling and disposal all being covered.
PPWR also strengthens how those fees work. EPR fees must now be modulated according to the recyclability, recycled content and reusability of packaging, and even the presence of substances of concern. This is so that better-designed packaging costs less. It connects PPWR closely to the wider shift in packaging extended producer responsibility (EPR) across Europe and the UK. For the broader picture, see our overview of extended producer responsibility.
Learn Extended Producer ResponsibilityManufacturer or producer: your role under PPWR
One of the first steps under PPWR is to clarify your role, as it determines your obligations.
By 12th August 2026, manufacturers must complete the conformity assessment procedure and draw up an EU Declaration of Conformity for each packaging unit placed on the market, alongside technical documentation proving their packaging meets the applicable requirements. Their address must also appear on the packaging, either physically, via a QR code, or in an accompanying document.
If you are the brand owner, PPWR generally treats you as the manufacturer, so these obligations apply to you too. Producers who are not the manufacturer must verify that the packaging they use is backed by the required technical documentation and Declaration of Conformity. In short, manufacturers prove compliance, and producers verify that the proof is in place.
Understand your roleHow Reconomy supports PPWR compliance
Our PPWR compliance support is delivered through our specialist brands in the Comply Loop. From advisory guidance on your obligations to the data and documentation that operationalise compliance, they give businesses a single route through an evolving regulation so you stay compliant across all 27 EU member states.
Why prepare for PPWR now
PPWR reshapes the entire packaging life cycle, and the consequences of falling behind are significant. From 12th August 2026, packaging that does not meet the requirements can be withdrawn or recalled, and businesses can lose access to the EU and Northern Ireland markets. Market surveillance authorities in each member state now determine penalties.
Beyond the legal risk for businesses, there is the practical reality of redesigning packaging, gathering data and producing the required documentation across complex supply chains. A sensible first step is a packaging audit: identifying all the packaging you place on the EU market and assessing it against the new recyclability, recycled content, labelling and required documentation. Acting early ensures your business turns PPWR from a compliance crisis into a competitive advantage.
Speak to our PPWR consultantsRelated regulations and resources
Frequently asked questions
PPWR is the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, Regulation (EU) 2025/40. It introduces harmonised rules across all EU member states covering packaging recyclability, recycled content, reuse, waste reduction, labelling and reporting. It applies to all packaging placed on the EU market, regardless of material, and replaces the previous Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (94/62/EC).
PPWR stands for the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation. It is the EU law that governs how packaging is designed, produced, labelled and managed across its full life cycle, with the aim of reducing packaging waste, increasing reuse and recycling, and supporting a circular economy across the EU.
PPWR entered into force on 11 February 2025 and applies generally from 12 August 2026. Many detailed requirements phase in later through delegated and implementing acts, with key milestones expected around 2028 for labelling, and in 2030, 2035, 2038 and 2040 for recyclability, recycled content and waste reduction.
Any business placing packaging or packaged goods on the EU market must comply, including manufacturers, producers, importers, distributors and online marketplaces. This includes UK and other non-EU businesses that sell into the EU, because PPWR applies based on where goods are sold. It also applies to packaging placed on the market in Northern Ireland.
The previous Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive had to be transposed into national law by each member state, which led to differing rules across the EU. PPWR is a regulation, so it applies directly and identically in every member state. This removes much of that fragmentation and introduces uniform labelling, recyclability and reporting requirements.
Yes, if you place packaging or packaged products on the EU market. PPWR applies based on where goods are sold, not where a business is based, so UK companies exporting into the EU must comply. It also applies to packaging placed on the market in Northern Ireland.
The Declaration of Conformity is a formal document, completed through the conformity assessment procedure, in which the manufacturer confirms that their packaging meets PPWR requirements. One must be issued for each packaging unit placed on the EU market, and it includes a unique identifier for the packaging and the manufacturer’s name and address.
From 12 August 2026, PPWR restricts per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in food-contact packaging placed on the EU market above set threshold levels. Food packaging that exceeds these limits cannot be placed on the market, so businesses should review the chemical composition of any food-contact packaging now.
PPWR introduces harmonised, EU-wide labels that show consumers how to sort packaging for disposal, replacing the patchwork of national symbols. The detailed pictograms are being set through implementing acts, with harmonised labelling expected to become mandatory on most packaging from around 12 August 2028.
From 12 August 2026, packaging that does not meet PPWR requirements can be withdrawn or recalled, and businesses can lose access to the EU and Northern Ireland markets. Penalties are set by the market surveillance authorities in each member state, so non-compliance carries financial, operational and reputational risk.
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