#packaging recyclability

The EU's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR): What Businesses Need to Know

The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) is one of the most far-reaching sustainability laws to come out of the European Union in recent years. It sets out to change how packaging is designed, produced, used, and disposed of across every stage of its life. Formally known as Regulation (EU) 2025/40, PPWR replaces the older Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive that had governed the sector since 1994, and it puts a single, harmonized framework in place across all EU member states.

The shift from a directive to a regulation matters more than it might seem. Under the old directive, each member state had room to interpret and apply the rules in its own way, leading to a patchwork of national requirements. PPWR closes that gap: because it is directly applicable law, any business selling into or exporting to the EU now faces the same packaging rules no matter which member state it operates in.

For sectors that depend heavily on packaging — food and dietary supplements chief among them — this is a substantial shift. Companies will need to reconsider packaging design, material choices, labeling practices, and their broader sustainability roadmaps.

Why the EU Created PPWR

Packaging waste has been growing faster than almost any other waste stream in Europe, straining waste management systems and driving continued reliance on virgin materials. The previous regulatory patchwork also left recycling rates inconsistent and did little to curb the environmental toll of single-use packaging.

PPWR is the EU's answer: a push toward a circular economy in which packaging materials stay in circulation longer through reuse, recycling, and better recovery systems.

Specifically, the regulation is meant to tackle:

Rapidly growing packaging waste volumes

Continued dependence on virgin and non-renewable raw materials

Weak reuse and recycling performance

Environmental pollution linked to single-use packaging

Europe's broader climate and sustainability commitments

By tightening packaging standards, the EU is betting it can cut environmental impact while pushing industries toward more sustainable innovation.

What PPWR Is Trying to Achieve

The regulation lays out several long-term goals that will reshape packaging practices across Europe:

Recyclable-by-design packaging by 2030. All packaging entering the EU market must be designed to be recyclable and to work within existing recycling infrastructure.

Higher recycled content requirements. Plastic packaging producers will need to meet minimum recycled-content thresholds, which vary by packaging type, cutting demand for virgin plastic.

Less packaging overall. Companies must strip out unnecessary layers, cut down on wasted space, and streamline designs so less material is used in the first place.

More reuse and refill options. The regulation pushes reusable packaging and refill systems into more product categories to reduce single-use reliance.

Tighter limits on hazardous substances. Chemicals like PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), often found in food-contact packaging, will be restricted once they cross certain thresholds.

A genuinely circular system. The end goal is a packaging economy where materials are recovered and reused continuously rather than thrown away after one use.

How PPWR Will Roll Out

The EU has mapped out a phased timeline for compliance:

Date

Milestone

January 2025

PPWR formally adopted and published

February 2025

Regulation enters into force across the EU

August 2026

Most operational compliance obligations begin applying

2030 and beyond

Core targets — recyclability, recycled content — become fully enforceable

Some obligations won't kick in until as late as 2040, but given the scale of change involved, businesses are being encouraged to start planning now rather than waiting for deadlines to approach.

What Companies Will Need to Do

Any business placing packaging on the EU market will need to address several requirements:

Design for recyclability. Packaging has to be built so it can be efficiently collected, sorted, and recycled within current waste systems.

Meet recycled-content thresholds. Rather than a simple recyclable/non-recyclable label, PPWR introduces graded recyclability classes starting in 2030, with tougher rules following in 2038.

Cut down on excess packaging. This applies especially to e-commerce and consumer goods, where oversized packaging and wasted space are common.

Introduce reuse or refill systems in certain product categories.

Standardize labeling so material composition, recyclability, and disposal instructions are clear to consumers.

Take on extended producer responsibility (EPR), meaning manufacturers become accountable for the full lifecycle of their packaging, including collection and recycling costs.

Complete conformity assessments and issue an EU Declaration of Conformity. Importers, meanwhile, must confirm these steps have been completed and keep records for the required retention period.

What This Means for Food and Dietary Supplement Companies

Few sectors will feel PPWR's impact as strongly as food and supplements, given how much these industries rely on specialized packaging to protect product safety, stability, and shelf life.

Packaging materials will need to change. Formats that fall short of the new recyclability standards may need to be redesigned — a particular concern for multilayer materials. That could affect bottles, containers, sachets, pouches, blister packs, flexible packaging, and even transport and secondary packaging.

Food-contact compliance gets stricter. New restrictions on substances like PFAS may force companies to reformulate packaging materials and run additional safety testing, all while still meeting food safety rules.

Redesign becomes unavoidable. Manufacturers will likely need to cut material use, boost recyclability, update labeling, and align with the new sustainability expectations — or risk losing market access for non-compliant packaging.

Costs will rise, at least initially. Expect higher spending on packaging redesign, testing and certification, supply chain adjustments, sustainability reporting, and regulatory documentation. Companies that invest early, though, may come out ahead in the long run.

Compliance becomes a market-access issue. Meeting PPWR's requirements won't just be a box to check — it will determine whether a company can keep selling into the EU at all. Early movers stand to gain a real edge in brand reputation and competitiveness.

Where Packaging Is Headed

PPWR isn't just another environmental rule — it marks a broader shift in how packaging will be approached globally. For food and supplement companies, that likely means:

Sustainable packaging becoming the industry norm rather than the exception

More transparency around what packaging is made of and how to dispose of it

Heavier investment in recyclable and reusable materials

Stronger accountability across supply chains

Rising consumer expectations for environmentally responsible products

Businesses that get ahead of these shifts now will be in a much stronger position as the regulatory landscape continues to evolve.

The Bottom Line

The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) is one of the EU's most consequential sustainability regulations to date, resetting expectations for how packaging is designed, produced, recycled, and reused. Its impact will be felt most by industries — like food and dietary supplements — that depend heavily on packaging for product protection and shelf life.