The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) is here

The PPWR changes how any product is designed, packaged and marketed in the European Union.

We help you understand what applies to you, close your compliance gaps and prove conformity in time.

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    By María Baquero Barros
    By Martin De Tezanos Pinto
    3 August 2026

    The EU has replaced its 30 year old packaging rules with a single, directly binding regulation. From 12 August 2026, every business that puts packaging on the EU market must meet new rules on recyclability, recycled content, reuse and labelling. This page explains what the PPWR is, who it affects, when it applies and how to get ready.

    Sanctions

    Up to €3.5M in Spain
    Most serious breaches, under Waste Law 7/2022

    Applies from

    12 August 2026
    General application

    Who it affects

    The whole value chain
    Manufactures, imports, distributes or packages

    Scope

    All packaging
    Plastic, paper, glass, metal and wood

    What is it?

    The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, known as the PPWR, is an EU law that sets out requirements for all packaging placed on the EU market, regardless of the material or where it comes from.

    It covers the full life cycle of packaging, from how it is designed and what it is made of, to how it is reused, collected, and recycled. It entered into force on 11 February 2025 and applies generally from 12 August 2026, replacing the old Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive 94/62/EC.

    Plastic industry contact

    Who is affected

    The PPWR reaches across the whole packaging value chain. If your packaging touches the EU market, you are almost certainly in scope.

    • Manufacturers

      Manufacturers and brand owners that place packaged products on the EU market

    • Importers

      Importers, who are treated as producers and carry direct legal responsibility for the packaging they bring in

    • Distributors

      Distributors, retailers and online marketplaces

    • Packaging

      Packaging producers and suppliers of packaging materials

    • Companies

      Companies selling into the EU from outside it, through an authorised representative

    Key obligations

    The regulation sets binding requirements across design, materials and end of life. The main obligations are:

    Recyclability

    From 2030 all packaging must be designed to be recyclable and meet design for recycling criteria, graded A, B or C. Grade C is phased out by 2038.

    Recycled content

    From 2030 plastic packaging must contain minimum recycled content, ranging from 30% to 65% depending on the type of packaging.

    Reuse and refill

    Reuse targets apply from 2030, for example a share of beverages in reusable packaging, rising further by 2040. Take away businesses must let customers use their own container at no extra cost.

    Packaging minimisation

    Empty space and over packaging are restricted, and certain single use plastic formats, such as single portion sachets, are banned.

    Substances of concern

    Hazardous substances must be minimised, including restrictions on PFAS in food contact packaging above set thresholds.

    Labelling and information

    Harmonised labels on packaging composition and sorting, so consumers and waste operators can handle it correctly.

    Extended producer responsibility

    Producers, including importers, must register and finance the collection and treatment of the packaging they place on the market.

    The PPWR’s key dates

    11 Feb 2025
    PPWR enters into force
    12 Aug 2026
    General application date.
    Most obligations start and the old 1994 Directive is repealed.
    12 Feb 2027
    Deadline for EU countries to set national penalties
    2030
    All packaging must be recyclable.
    Minimum recycled content and first reuse targets apply
    2038
    Packaging in the lowest recyclability grade (C) is phased out
    2040
    Higher reuse targets apply, for example for beverages

    Penalties for non-compliance in detail

    Fine levels are set at national level, so exact amounts vary by country. The regulation only sets the principle that penalties must be dissuasive.

    Book a meeting with our PPWR experts

    • Each EU country sets its own penalties, which must be effective, proportionate and dissuasive, and must be in place by 12 February 2027.

    • Sanctions include administrative fines, especially for breaches on excessive packaging, banned formats and reuse and refill obligations.

    • Non compliant packaging can be refused or withdrawn from the market, cutting off sales in the EU.

    • Reputational damage and lost retail listings, as major buyers increasingly require PPWR ready packaging from suppliers.

    • Fine levels are set at national level, so exact amounts vary by country. The regulation only sets the principle that penalties must be dissuasive.

    What organisations need to know

    Getting ready for the PPWR is a cross functional project, not just a packaging design task.
    Practical starting points include:

    Request your PPWR diagnosis

    Map every packaging item you place on the EU market, by material and format

    Check recyclability and recycled content against the 2030 thresholds, and flag anything that needs redesign

    Identify banned or restricted formats in your range now, so you can phase them out in time

    Review your extended producer responsibility registrations in each country where you sell

    Set up reliable data and documentation, since you will need to prove compliance on request

    Engage suppliers early, because material and design changes take time to implement

    How Peterson helps you

    We support you, step by step, in preparing a practical and traceable compliance system, backed by our experts and our technology.

    Consultancy

    We assess how the regulation applies to your products, sites and supply chain, identify the gaps against your current setup, and build a clear, prioritised roadmap to compliance. Our specialists translate the legal text into practical actions your teams can follow, and support you through documentation, evidence and audits.

    Technology

    We help you put the right tools in place to collect, manage and verify the data the regulation demands, from traceability and due diligence records to reporting and digital documentation. Our solutions connect your supply chain data so you can prove compliance quickly and keep records audit ready.

    Training

    We prepare your teams with practical, role based training so the people who handle sourcing, quality, packaging and compliance know exactly what is expected of them. We keep your organisation up to date as requirements and deadlines change.

    Real supply-chain experience. Results that matter.

    We combine up-to-date regulatory knowledge, hands-on field experience and our own technology to turn the complexity of the PPWR into a manageable process.

    • 100+ years in supply chains — global presence in inspection, verification and traceability.
    • PPWR dedicated team — specialists who continuously monitor the Regulation and its delegated acts.
    • PTech integrated technology — our own platform for data, traceability and audit-ready documentation.
    • Local trusted presence — practical, close consultancy, from diagnosis to long-term support.

    Leading the PPWR service

    Martin de Tezanos Pinto | PPWR Specialist

    Supports manufacturers, importers and distributors in interpreting the PPWR, mapping roles and obligations, and preparing the conformity documentation.

    Schedule a meeting
    Martin Tezanos

    Leading the PPWR service

    María Baquero | PPWR Specialist

    Chemical engineer with eight years of experience embedding sustainability into strategy and operations. She brings the technical rigour to translate PPWR obligations into packaging solutions that meet the requirements and create value.

    Schedule a meeting
    María Baquero

    FAQS’s

    The PPWR is Regulation (EU) 2025/40 on packaging and packaging waste. It is the European rule that governs all packaging placed on the EU market across its entire life cycle, from design and composition to reuse and waste management. It replaces the former Directive 94/62/EC and, as a regulation, applies directly in every Member State without national transposition.

    It is the European framework that unifies the rules for packaging across the EU. It requires all packaging to be recyclable, sets minimum recycled-content percentages, establishes reuse targets, requires packaging and empty space to be minimised, harmonises labelling and strengthens producer responsibility for waste. It applies to any material and to both consumer and business-to-business operations.

    It entered into force on 11 February 2025 and applies generally from 12 August 2026, when the ban on PFAS in food-contact packaging also applies. The requirements then roll out in phases: deposit return systems around 2029, recyclability and recycled content in 2030, recycling at scale in 2035 and reinforced targets in 2040.

    From 2030 the general targets for plastic packaging are 30% for contact-sensitive PET, 10% for contact-sensitive other plastics, 30% for single-use plastic beverage bottles and 35% for other plastic packaging. These increase in 2040 to 50%, 25%, 65% and 65% respectively. The material must come from post-consumer waste and is calculated as an average per plant and year.

    Article 68 requires each Member State to set effective, proportionate and dissuasive penalties, adopted by 12 February 2027. In Spain, Law 7/2022 classifies infringements as minor (up to €2,000), serious (€2,001 to €100,000) and very serious (€100,001 to €3,500,000), with possible additional measures such as product recall or closure of facilities. Without EPR registration a product cannot be marketed, which blocks market access.

    It affects the entire packaging value chain in the EU, regardless of where the packaging was made: manufacturers, importers, distributors, own brands, producers that place packaging on the market for the first time, and retail and e-commerce. Anyone who markets packaging under its own brand takes on the manufacturer’s obligations.

    It is a process that requires companies to identify, prevent and mitigate the social and environmental risks linked to sourcing four critical raw materials: cobalt, natural graphite, lithium and nickel. It applies to operators above certain turnover thresholds, and its compliance must be verified by an independent notified body.

    Non-compliance can lead to financial and legal penalties, withdrawal of products from the market and loss of authorisation to trade in the EU, as well as reputational damage with clients, partners and financiers. That is why it pays to act early: map which obligations apply, verify supplier conformity and prepare the documentation with margin before each deadline.