PPWR GUIDES
PPWR – the new EU packaging rules.
The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation applies from August 2026. What it requires, who it affects, and how to prepare.
All PPWR guides
PPWRDocumentationPackaging designPFAS in Food Packaging: PPWR Limits and Evidence
From 12 August 2026, PPWR restricts PFAS in food-contact packaging at three concentration limits. Learn the thresholds and evidence your file needs.
5 min read
PPWRPackaging designTransportVoid Fill Under the PPWR: How to Choose It and Use Less
Under the PPWR, paper, air pillows and other void fill count as empty space. Learn how the 50% cap works and how to right-size e-commerce packaging.
6 min read
PPWRReportingDocumentationSingle-Use Plastics Reporting: What Online Sellers Have to Declare
Single-use plastics reporting sits alongside packaging EPR, not inside it: separate registers, item counts as well as weight, some items declared twice.
5 min read
PPWRRecyclabilityPackaging designPPWR Recyclability Grades A, B and C Explained
PPWR grades packaging by recyclable weight: A is 95%+, B is 80%+, C is 70%+. Below 70% is banned from 1 January 2030, and Grade C itself is banned from 2038.
5 min read
PPWRPackaging designReusable Packaging and the 2030 Checkout Rule
From 1 January 2030, 40% of e-commerce transport packaging must be reusable and 10% of beverages sold in reusable packaging. Takeaway rules start Feb 2027.
4 min read
PPWRRecyclabilityPPWR Recycled Content Targets for Plastic Packaging (2030 & 2040)
From 2030 plastic packaging needs minimum post-consumer recycled content: 35% general, 30% bottles and PET contact-sensitive, 10% non-PET. More follows in 2040.
4 min read
PPWRPackaging designPPWR Restricted Substances: Heavy Metals and Article 5 Limits
PPWR Article 5 caps lead, cadmium, mercury and hexavalent chromium at a combined 100 mg/kg, and restricts PFAS in food-contact packaging from 12 August 2026.
4 min read
PPWRTransportTransport Packaging & PPWR: Rules for B2B and Pallet Wrapping
PPWR requires 40% of transport packaging reusable by 2030 and 70% by 2040. Intra-company transport needs 100%, though pallet wrap and straps were exempted.
4 min read
PPWRPackaging designThe PPWR 50% Empty Space Ratio: How to Measure and Comply
PPWR Article 24 caps empty space at 50% of box volume from 1 January 2030. Void fill counts as empty space; Article 10 minimisation applies 12 August 2026.
4 min read
PPWRLabellingPPWR Labelling Requirements: Pictograms, QR Codes, and Material Codes
Harmonised EU material and sorting-bin pictograms replace national labels from 12 August 2028. Reusable packaging needs a QR code by February 2029.
4 min read
PPWRRecyclabilityHow to Prove Packaging Recyclability Under the PPWR
Assess packaging against Design for Recycling criteria and record the grade in your Annex VII file. A is 95%, B 80%, C 70%; below 70% is banned from 2030.
4 min read
PPWRDocumentationWho Signs the PPWR Declaration of Conformity and How to Do It
The legal manufacturer, or their EU authorised representative, signs the PPWR Declaration of Conformity. If your brand is on the packaging, that is you.
5 min read
PPWRDocumentationPPWR Technical Documentation: Building Your Annex VII Evidence Vault
PPWR technical documentation is the Annex VII file: description, drawings, bill of materials, heavy-metal and PFAS lab tests. Required from 12 August 2026.
5 min read
PPWRDocumentationHow to Collect PPWR Technical Documentation from Your Packaging Suppliers
Treat PPWR technical documentation as procurement: inventory components, request heavy-metal and PFAS tests, get recycled-content data, keep 5-10 years.
5 min read
PPWRExemptionsPPWR Exemptions: Are Micro-Enterprises Exempt from Packaging Rules?
The PPWR micro-enterprise exemption (under 10 staff, under EUR 2M) shifts manufacturer duties to your supplier - only if they are in the same Member State.
6 min read
PPWRImportingPPWR Compliance for Importers: Buying Packaged Goods from Outside the EU
PPWR importers must verify the manufacturer's conformity assessment, collect a signed Declaration of Conformity per packaging type, and retain it 5-10 years.
3 min read
PPWRProducer rolesWho is the Legal "Manufacturer" Under PPWR? (Hint: It Might Be You)
Under PPWR the manufacturer is whoever puts their name or trademark on packaging: usually the brand, not the factory. It owns the technical file and DoC.
5 min read
PPWRDeadlinesPPWR Timeline: Packaging Deadlines 2026–2040
Every PPWR deadline that matters, from the 12 Aug 2026 application date to recycled-content and reuse targets in 2030, 2035 and 2040.
4 min read
EPRPPWRBasicsEPR vs PPWR: The Difference Explained (2026)
EPR is the principle that makes you pay for packaging waste. PPWR is the binding EU regulation, applicable 12 August 2026, that dictates packaging design.
4 min read
PPWRBasicsPPWR Explained: EU Packaging Regulation 2026
The PPWR (Regulation (EU) 2025/40) applies from 12 August 2026 and binds all 27 member states identically: packaging design, recyclability and labelling.
4 min read