Glossary
PPWR, in plain English.
The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation: economic operators, conformity duties, re-use rules, restrictions, and dates.
19 terms
Final Distributor (HORECA sector)
A final distributor in the HORECA sector is any hotel, restaurant, or catering business that delivers packaged products or refillable food and beverages directly to the end user.
Fulfilment Service Provider (PPWR)
A fulfilment service provider is a commercial entity that offers warehousing, packing, addressing, or dispatching services for products without owning the goods.
Obligated Distributor (PPWR)
An obligated distributor (PPWR) is any downstream economic operator in the European Union supply chain, other than the manufacturer or importer, who makes packaging or packaged products available o...
Obligated Importer (PPWR)
An obligated importer under the PPWR is any natural or legal person established within the European Union that places packaging or packaged products from a third country onto the EU market.
Obligated Manufacturer (PPWR)
An obligated manufacturer under the PPWR is the single entity in the supply chain legally responsible for ensuring that packaging meets European Union sustainability and labelling requirements.
Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive 94/62/EC
The Packaging and Packaging Waste is the foundational European Union law that harmonises rules on packaging management, establishes extended producer responsibility principles, and mandates recycli...
Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR)
The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) is the binding European Union law that replaced the packaging directive and has applied since 12 August 2026. It sets rules on packaging design,...
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Restriction
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large family of persistent synthetic chemicals widely known as forever chemicals.
PPWR Annex VII Technical Documentation
The PPWR Annex VII technical documentation is the mandatory compliance file documenting a packaging unit's materials, design specifications, safety, and recyclability assessment.
PPWR Article 29 (Re-use targets)
PPWR Article 29 establishes binding quotas that require a specific share of certain packaging, such as transport materials and beverage containers, to be reusable or refillable rather than single-u...
PPWR Article 3 (Definitions)
Article 3 of the European Union's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation sets out the legal definitions for the entire text.
PPWR Article 4 (Free movement)
PPWR Article 4 is the free movement clause of the European Union's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, stipulating that Member States cannot prohibit or restrict the sale of packaging that co...
PPWR Article 5
Article 5 of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation sets strict limits on hazardous chemicals in packaging across the European Union.
PPWR Article 6 (Recyclable packaging)
PPWR Article 6 mandates that all packaging placed on the European Union market must be recyclable by design.
PPWR Article 7 (Minimum recycled content)
PPWR Article 7 is a legally binding provision within the European Union's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation that forces manufacturers to include specific minimum percentages of post-consumer...
PPWR Article 8 (Biobased feedstock)
Article 8 of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation establishes a framework for evaluating and potentially mandating the use of biobased feedstock in plastic packaging.
Recyclability Performance Grades
Recyclability performance grades are the EU's harmonised scoring system for how efficiently packaging can be recycled at scale.
Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUPD)
The Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUPD) is a European Union law designed to drastically reduce the environmental impact of the plastic items most commonly found on European beaches.
System Operator (Re-use system)
A system operator is the individual or business responsible for managing a packaging re-use network.