The PPWR: EU Regulation for a More Circular Economy and Less Packaging Waste
The PPWR—Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation; EU Regulation 2025/40—will take effect on August 12, 2026, and will bring about changes for businesses. Manufacturers will be held even more accountable, packaging waste will be disposed of in the most environmentally friendly way possible, and the circular economy will be strengthened.
What does the PPWR mean for businesses?
The PPWR establishes a new, binding legal framework for the management of packaging and packaging waste. As such, the PPWR serves as the updated legal framework for packaging and packaging waste in the EU. For manufacturers, importers, and retailers, this means: Take action now and adapt your packaging.
The PPWR will apply uniformly in all EU member states starting August 12, 2026. Essentially, there are two main objectives: to significantly reduce packaging waste and dispose of it in the most environmentally friendly way possible, and to strengthen the circular economy across Europe. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) plays a central role in this effort, placing even greater responsibility on manufacturers and retailers.
Who is affected by the PPWR?
The new regulations affect virtually the entire supply chain:
- Producers who manufacture packaging or packaged products themselves, or who develop and have them manufactured under their own name or brand
- Manufacturers—that is, producers, importers, or distributors—who place packaging or packaged products on the market for the first time in an EU member state
- Importers who place packaging from third countries on the market
- Distributors and dealers who supply packaging or packaged products to resellers or end users
Anyone in one of these roles should familiarize themselves with the new responsibilities as early as possible.
An overview of the key requirements
In the future, companies must pay particular attention to the following points, subject to various transition periods:
- Packaging Compliance
- Restrictions on Hazardous Substances
- Recyclability
- Minimum Recycled Content Requirements for Plastic Packaging
- Minimizing Packaging
- Duties to Provide Information, Notify, and Report
- Ban on Certain Packaging Formats and Deceptive Packaging
- Extended Producer Responsibility
- Reducing Packaging Waste
Improving the recyclability of packaging
The EU also plans to adjust its recycling targets: Step by step, packaging is to be made recyclable. Starting in 2026, the recycling target will be 65%; starting in 2030, it will be at least 70%; and starting in 2038, packaging must be designed to be at least 80% recyclable.
The use of materials should also be minimized to reduce plastic waste. Packaging should be minimized: In the future, the weight of packaging should be reduced to the minimum necessary for it to be functional.
In addition, minimum percentages of recycled content are to be introduced in plastic packaging, and the inclusion of hazardous substances will be more strictly limited.
For more information, see the full text of Regulation (EU) 2025/40: Eur-Lex
