The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, or PPWR, came into force on 11 February 2025. This means the rules will become binding 18 months from that date, on 12 August 2026. Although further requirements and targets will be added at later dates, one thing is clear at this moment: anyone using packaging will need to keep a detailed administration of it. In this blog we'll try to give you some guidance and help you get prepared.
PPWR is short for Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation. This EU law was designed to reduce packaging waste and promote a circular economy for packaging materials across all EU countries. It replaces the former EU Packaging Directive and introduces measures such as targets for recyclability, minimum recycled content in packaging and restrictions on unnecessary packaging. The new rules have not yet been fully established and at least another 30 documents containing more detailed legal requirements are expected to be added until 2029.
The PPWR places responsibility on the entire supply chain, from packaging producers to product manufacturers, importers, logistics service providers, distributors and retailers or other final suppliers. Manufacturers using packaging must prove which materials were used, whether packaging meets design regulations and how this was tested, as well as the recyclability of the packaging. These data will have to be registered in the packaging register.
Throughout the supply chain, companies will need to register their packaging items and prove that their packaging complies with the PPWR and is either reusable or recyclable. They will also need to ensure that incentives, such as deposits, are in place to encourage the return of packaging items and prove re-use.
PPWR will require detailed packaging records
Although much remains to be decided, one thing is absolutely clear: anyone using large volumes of packaging will be required to keep detailed packaging records. And PPWR does not just apply to consumer goods packaging, but to transport packaging as well.
In earlier blogs, we discussed several relevant articles of the PPWR. Meanwhile, their contents have been amended. For the definitive texts, take a look at the official documents, a link to which you will find at the bottom of this blog.
For example, the maximum empty space ratio in transport packaging has been adapted to 50% (from 40%), which can now be found in Article 24.1. Similarly, re-use targets have changed. Article 29.1 states that "From 1 January 2030, economic operators that use transport packaging, or sales packaging used for transporting products, including for products distributed via e-commerce, within the territory of the Union, in the form of pallets, foldable-plastic boxes, boxes, trays, plastic crates, intermediate bulk containers, pails, drums and canisters of any size or material, including flexible formats or pallet wrappings or straps for stabilisation and protection of products put on pallets during transport, shall ensure that at least 40 % of such packaging in total is reusable packaging within a re-use system." This target is raised to 70% by 1 January 2040.
Although much remains to be decided, one thing is clear: the PPWR will require you to maintain detailed packaging records.
The full set of rules in the PPWR will become binding from 12 August 2026. That means it is time to take a closer look at your packaging registration, as you will have to be able to provide detailed information about the amount of packaging used. Although the official EU registration systems are yet to become available, you'll need to have the relevant information at hand to prove your compliance.
Setting up an accurate packaging registration for your company can take time. You will have to take a close look at your processes and make sure details can be retrieved and reported. This becomes easy when you use PackControl, the cloud-based SaaS platform for detailed reusable packaging registration and management.
PackControl makes it easy to register all your reusable packaging items and track their movements. Each transaction is logged as a journal entry, so you always know which item has been sent to which counterparty, its current location, what fees (such as rent or deposits) need to be charged, and when items are expected to be returned. You can easily export these data to integrate with your own systems or to fulfill PPWR requirements, and you can quickly share balance and transaction overviews with any counterparty, supporting both automated and manual reconciliation. Any agreements, specific responsibilities, and the many exceptions common in your operations can be configured and automated within the system.
By automating your reusable packaging registration with PackControl, you can ensure your packaging records are always up-to-date. You can quickly extract and export the necessary information to meet PPWR requirements, saving you significant time. PackControl streamlines the process by automating most of the manual data entries you previously had to handle, making compliance much easier and more efficient.
At PackControl, we keep a close eye on further developments in the PPWR. Thanks to our advanced software development approach, we can quickly adapt our software to meet new requirements, ensuring that our users can easily comply.
PackControl was created in response to the challenges we faced with managing packaging administration ourselves. By combining our expertise in packaging management with the skills of leading software developers, we've built a solution that makes it easier than ever to register and oversee every aspect of your returnable packaging. Take a look at our Capabilities page to find out more, or contact us for further information or a demo.