The EU's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), Regulation (EU) 2025/40, entered into force on 11 February 2025 and has generally applied since 12 August 2026. Unlike the directive it replaces, it is a regulation: the same rules apply directly in every EU member state.
What it covers
The regulation covers all packaging placed on the EU market, whatever the material and wherever it was made. That includes paper shopping bags, gift boxes and mailers. Carrier bags handed out at the point of sale count as packaging; a tote sold as a product in its own right may not. If you are unsure which applies to your item, check before you order.
What already applies
- Substances of concern. The combined level of lead, cadmium, mercury and hexavalent chromium in packaging must not exceed 100 mg/kg. Food-contact packaging is also subject to limits on PFAS.
- Conformity documentation. Packaging needs an EU declaration of conformity backed by technical documentation. The manufacturer draws it up, and importers must make sure it is in place for what they bring in.
What comes later
- 12 August 2028: harmonised labels showing material composition and sorting information.
- 2030: recyclability performance grades and minimum recycled content for plastic packaging.
- 2035: packaging must be recyclable at scale.
What to ask your supplier
- Which materials, inks and coatings are used, and are test reports for heavy metals available (and for PFAS, if the packaging touches food)?
- Who will draw up the declaration of conformity and technical documentation for your packaging?
- Can the construction be simplified to a single material, so it is easier to recycle?
- If you plan to keep selling after 2030, which recycled-content options are available?
When you request a quotation, tell us the destination market at the start. That way material, ink and documentation requirements can be discussed before sampling, not after.
