PPWR (Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation)
Quick Overview
The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), adopted in 2024 and replacing Directive 94/62/EC, sets binding requirements for packaging sustainability including recycled content mandates, packaging reduction targets, and restrictions on single-use formats that drive demand for bioplastics.
What is the PPWR?
The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) is the EU’s landmark legislation on packaging sustainability. Adopted in 2024 and fully applicable from 2026, it replaces the 1994 Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive. As a Regulation (not a Directive), it applies directly across all EU member states without national transposition.
Key Requirements
Recycled Content Mandates
- 30% recycled content in contact-sensitive PET packaging by 2030
- 10% recycled content in other contact-sensitive packaging by 2030
- 35% recycled content in all plastic packaging by 2040
Packaging Reduction Targets
- 5% reduction in packaging waste per capita by 2030 (vs 2018)
- 10% reduction by 2035
- 15% reduction by 2040
Restrictions on Single-Use Formats
- Ban on single-use plastic packaging for fruit <1.5kg, hotel miniatures, shrink-wrap for suitcases, and other formats
- Reuse targets for beverage packaging (20% reusable by 2030)
Impact on Bioplastics
The PPWR creates significant indirect demand for bioplastics through:
- Recycled content mandates achievable via chemical recycling of mixed plastic waste
- Sustainability requirements favoring lower-carbon packaging materials
- Design-for-recyclability criteria that compostable packaging must meet
- EU labeling requirements distinguishing home-compostable, industrially compostable, and conventional plastics
The regulation specifies that compostable packaging is permitted only for specific applications (tea bags, coffee pods, sticky labels, ultralight bags) and must be certified to EN 13432.