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PPWR Labelling & Packaging 12 min Changing in the next 12 months

PPWR: Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2025/40), explained

The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation sets recyclability, recycled content, re-use, labelling and producer responsibility rules for all packaging on the EU market, with duties for manufacturers, importers, distributors and online platforms. It applies from 12 August 2026, replacing Directive 94/62/EC, with labelling from 12 August 2028 and design targets from 1 January 2030.

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Reviewed 24 September 2026 by Conphora compliance team · Next review 13 March 2027 · Not legal advice

Who it applies to

Covered by the act

  • All packaging placed on the EU market, regardless of the material used, and all packaging waste, whether from industry, other manufacturing, retail or distribution, offices, services or households
  • Sales, grouped, transport and e-commerce packaging, service packaging filled at the point of sale, single-use and reusable packaging, and the plastic parts of packaging
  • Packaging supplied empty or together with a product, including packaged products placed on the market under an operator's own name or trademark
  • Economic operators along the chain: manufacturers, suppliers, importers, distributors, authorised representatives, final distributors and fulfilment service providers, plus producers with extended producer responsibility and online platforms
  • Packaging waste management, extended producer responsibility, deposit and return systems and Member State prevention, collection and recycling targets

Derived and downstream products

  • An item is packaging when an economic operator uses it to contain, protect, handle, deliver or present products to another operator or an end user, including items filled at the point of sale, disposable items sold and filled at the point of sale, permeable tea and coffee bags and single-serve beverage units; Annex I gives an indicative list (Art. 3(1), point (1), and Art. 3(2))
  • A person that has packaging or a packaged product designed or manufactured under its own name or trademark is the manufacturer; for a micro-enterprise whose packaging supplier is located in the same Member State, the supplier is the manufacturer (Art. 3(1), point (13))
  • An importer or distributor that places packaging on the market under its own name or trademark, or modifies packaging in a way that could affect compliance, takes on the manufacturer's obligations (Art. 21)
  • A producer for extended producer responsibility is the manufacturer, importer or distributor that first makes packaging or packaged products available in a Member State, sells them directly to end users in another Member State, or unpacks packaged products without being an end user (Art. 3(1), point (15))
  • The regulation applies without prejudice to Union rules on the safety, quality, health protection and hygiene of packed products and to transport rules; where it conflicts with Directive 2008/68/EC on dangerous goods, that directive prevails (Art. 2(2))

Roles under the act

Manufacturer (including brand owners of packaged products)

Any natural or legal person that manufactures packaging or a packaged product, or has packaging or a packaged product designed or manufactured under its own name or trademark; where such a brand owner is a micro-enterprise and its packaging supplier is located in the same Member State, the supplier is the manufacturer.

Source · Art. 3(1), point (13)
Importer

Any natural or legal person established within the Union that places packaging from a third country on the market; an importer that sells under its own brand or modifies packaging in a way that could affect compliance is treated as the manufacturer.

Source · Art. 3(1), point (17), and Art. 21
Distributor (including final distributors and retailers)

Any natural or legal person in the supply chain, other than the manufacturer or importer, that makes packaging available on the market; the final distributor is the one that delivers packaged products, or products purchased through refill, to the end user.

Source · Art. 3(1), points (18) and (21)
Authorised representative

Any natural or legal person established in the Union that has received a written mandate from the manufacturer to act on its behalf in relation to specified tasks under the regulation; the mandate cannot cover the duty to place only compliant packaging on the market or to draw up the technical documentation.

Source · Art. 3(1), point (19), and Art. 17
Fulfilment service provider

Any natural or legal person offering, in the course of commercial activity, at least two of warehousing, packaging, addressing and dispatching without owning the products, as defined in Regulation (EU) 2019/1020; the regulation applies that definition.

Source · Art. 3(1), final subparagraphs, and Art. 20Source · Art. 3, point (11)
Producer (extended producer responsibility)

Any manufacturer, importer or distributor that, irrespective of the selling technique, first makes packaging or packaged products available in the Member State where it is established, makes them available directly to end users in another Member State, or unpacks packaged products without being an end user.

Source · Art. 3(1), point (15)
Provider of an online platform

An online platform as defined in Article 3, point (i), of Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 that allows consumers to conclude distance contracts with producers offering packaging or packaged products.

Source · Art. 3(1), point (70), and Art. 45(4)

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Does PPWR apply to your product?

Three questions, a first answer from the regulation’s own scope rules. No account needed.

The rules behind this check
  1. Item that is an integral part of a product, or a container designed to be sold empty by the final distributor · any · any Not in scope An item that is an integral part of a product and necessary to contain, support or preserve it throughout its lifetime, or a container designed to be sold empty by the final distributor, does not meet the definition of packaging; Annex I lists examples of what is and is not packaging. Source · Art. 3(1), point (1), and Annex I
  2. Packaging used for the transport of dangerous goods under Directive 2008/68/EC · any · any It depends Packaging for the transport of dangerous goods is packaging under the regulation, but Directive 2008/68/EC prevails in a conflict, and it is exempt from the recyclability, recycled-content and re-use target requirements. Source · Art. 2(2), Art. 6(11), Art. 7(4) and Art. 29(4)
  3. Immediate or outer packaging of medicinal products, or contact-sensitive packaging of medical devices and in vitro diagnostics · any · any It depends Immediate packaging of medicinal products, contact-sensitive packaging of medical devices and in vitro diagnostics, and outer medicinal packaging needed to preserve quality are exempt from the recyclability and recycled-content requirements, and from labelling where there is no space or safe use would be jeopardised; the general obligations still apply. Source · Art. 6(11), Art. 7(4) and Art. 12(11)
  4. any · Manufacturer (including brand owners of packaged products) · Micro It depends A micro-enterprise that has packaging made under its own name or trademark is not the manufacturer if its packaging supplier is located in the same Member State, and for the Article 15 duties if the supplier is located in the Union; in those cases the supplier carries the manufacturer's obligations. Micro-enterprises making no more than 1 000 kg of packaging available a year are also exempt from the re-use targets. Source · Art. 3(1), point (13), Art. 15(12), Art. 21 and Art. 29(13)
  5. Contact-sensitive packaging for food, feed, cosmetics or similar regulated products · any · any In scope Contact-sensitive packaging is fully in scope; from 12 August 2026 food-contact packaging may not be placed on the market with PFAS at or above 25 ppb for any PFAS, 250 ppb for the sum of PFAS or 50 ppm including polymeric PFAS, and contact-sensitive plastic packaging carries its own recycled-content percentages. Source · Art. 2(1), Art. 5(5) and Art. 7(1)
  6. Single-use packaging of any material (sales, grouped, service or e-commerce packaging), Reusable packaging within a re-use system, Packaging with plastic parts (recycled content and format restrictions), Transport, grouped or e-commerce packaging (pallets, boxes, crates, wrappings, straps), Take-away and HORECA packaging for drinks and ready-prepared food, Plastic carrier bags · Manufacturer (including brand owners of packaged products), Importer, Distributor (including final distributors and retailers), Authorised representative, Fulfilment service provider, Producer (extended producer responsibility), Provider of an online platform · any In scope The regulation applies to all packaging placed on the market regardless of material, and packaging may only be placed on the market if it complies; the general obligations contain no company-size threshold, while specific derogations exist for micro-enterprises under the format restrictions, re-use targets and take-away re-use duty. Source · Art. 2(1), Art. 4(1), Art. 25(4), Art. 29(13) and Art. 33(4)
  7. any · any · any It depends Whether the regulation applies turns on whether the item meets the definition of packaging in Article 3(1), point (1), and which role the operator holds for that packaging. Source · Art. 2(1) and Art. 3(1)

Key dates

  1. Regulation (EU) 2025/40 adopted by the European Parliament and the Council in Brussels Source · title and signature block after Art. 71
  2. Publication in the Official Journal, OJ L 2025/40 Source · OJ reference
  3. Entry into force, the twentieth day after publication; packaging placed on the market from this date counts as reusable only if it meets the nine criteria of Article 11(1) Source · Art. 71 and Art. 11(1)
  4. Deadline for the Commission to adopt the implementing act on the format for registration in and reporting to the national registers of producers, and to request harmonised standards on compostable packaging Source · Art. 44(14) and Art. 9(6)
  5. Commission Delegated Decision (EU) 2026/429 enters into force: pallet wrappings and straps are exempted from the 100 % re-use requirements of Article 29(2) and (3) Source · Art. 1 and Art. 2
  6. Commission Notice C/2026/3084, the guidance document for Regulation (EU) 2025/40, published in the Official Journal Source · title and subject matter
  7. The regulation applies; Directive 94/62/EC is repealed with transitional exceptions; food-contact packaging may no longer be placed on the market with PFAS at or above the Article 5(5) limits; deadline for the Commission's implementing acts on harmonised labels and the digital-marking methodology Source · Art. 71, Art. 70(1), Art. 5(5), Art. 12(6), Art. 12(7) and Art. 13(2)
  8. Deadline for the Commission's implementing act on calculating and verifying recycled content, the delegated act on sustainability criteria for plastic recycling technologies, the third-country equivalence methodology and the report on substances of concern in packaging Source · Art. 7(8), Art. 7(9), Art. 7(10) and Art. 5(2)
  9. Member States must have penalty rules in place and notified; HORECA final distributors must let consumers bring their own container for take-away drinks and food; deadline for the Commission's delegated act on minimum rotations for reusable packaging and its guidelines on Annex V and on the beverage re-use targets Source · Art. 68(1), Art. 68(3), Art. 32(1), Art. 11(2), Art. 25(6) and Art. 29(8)
  10. Deadline for the Commission's delegated acts on design-for-recycling criteria and recyclability performance grades and on pooling arrangements for beverage re-use targets Source · Art. 6(4) and Art. 29(12)
  11. Tea, coffee and beverage bags and sticky fruit labels must be compostable; other biodegradable packaging must be designed for material recycling; empty space in sales packaging must be reduced to the minimum; HORECA final distributors must offer take-away in reusable packaging; deadline for the Commission's empty-space methodology Source · Art. 9(1), Art. 9(3), Art. 24(4), Art. 33(1) and Art. 24(2)
  12. Harmonised material-composition label on packaging and harmonised labels on waste receptacles, or 24 or 30 months after the implementing acts if later; recycled-content labels must follow the harmonised specification; Decision 97/129/EC repealed Source · Art. 12(1), Art. 12(4), Art. 13(1) and Art. 70(2)
  13. Member States must separately collect at least 90 % of single-use plastic beverage bottles and metal beverage containers up to three litres through deposit and return systems; recycled-content calculation must follow the implementing act, or 24 months after it if later Source · Art. 50(1), Art. 50(2) and Art. 7(11)
  14. Reusable packaging placed on the market must carry the reusability label and a QR code or other data carrier, or 30 months after the implementing act if later; the additions to Part B of the Annex to Directive (EU) 2019/904 in Article 67(5) apply Source · Art. 12(2) and Art. 71
  15. Packaging must be designed for recycling in grade A, B or C and plastic parts must meet the 2030 minimum recycled content, each or 24 or 36 months after the Commission acts if later; packaging must be minimised in weight and volume; the Annex V format restrictions, the 50 % empty-space ratio and the 2030 re-use targets apply; Member States must cut packaging waste per capita by 5 % against 2018 Source · Art. 6(2), Art. 6(3), Art. 7(1), Art. 10(1), Art. 25(1), Art. 24(1), Art. 29 and Art. 43(1)
  16. Recyclability also requires that the packaging waste is collected separately, sorted and recycled at scale, or five years after the implementing acts if later; Member States must cut packaging waste per capita by 10 % Source · Art. 6(2) and Art. 43(1)
  17. Only packaging recyclable in grade A or B may be placed on the market Source · Art. 6(3)
  18. The 2040 minimum recycled content percentages apply; economic operators must endeavour to reach the 2040 re-use targets; Member States must cut packaging waste per capita by 15 % Source · Art. 7(2), Art. 29 and Art. 43(1)

What you must do

Obligations by role

Manufacturer (including brand owners of packaged products)22
  • Place on the market only packaging that conforms to the sustainability and labelling requirements of Articles 5 to 12. Art. 15(1) and Art. 4(1)
  • Keep the sum of lead, cadmium, mercury and hexavalent chromium in packaging or its components at or below 100 mg/kg, and from 12 August 2026 do not place food-contact packaging on the market with PFAS at or above the Article 5(5) limits; show compliance in the technical documentation. Art. 5(4), Art. 5(5) and Art. 5(6)
  • Assess the recyclability of each packaging unit against the design-for-recycling criteria and express it in grade A, B or C; from 1 January 2030, or 24 months after the delegated acts if later, place no packaging on the market outside grades A to C, and from 1 January 2038 only grades A or B. Art. 6(2), Art. 6(3) and Art. 6(9)
  • From 1 January 2030, or three years after the implementing act if later, ensure every plastic part of packaging contains the minimum recycled content from post-consumer plastic waste (30 % for contact-sensitive PET, 10 % for other contact-sensitive plastics, 30 % for single-use plastic beverage bottles, 35 % for other plastic packaging), rising in 2040, and document it. Art. 7(1), Art. 7(2) and Art. 7(6)
  • By 12 February 2028, make tea, coffee and beverage bags and sticky fruit labels compostable and design other biodegradable packaging for material recycling. Art. 9(1) and Art. 9(3)
  • By 1 January 2030, design packaging so that its weight and volume are the minimum necessary for functionality, and do not place on the market packaging that fails the Annex IV performance criteria or that only increases perceived volume through double walls, false bottoms or unnecessary layers, unless a protected design, trademark or geographical indication applies. Art. 10(1), Art. 10(2) and Art. 10(4)
  • Treat packaging as reusable only if it meets all nine Article 11(1) criteria, and for reusable packaging include in the technical documentation a description of the re-use system with the written confirmations of the system participants. Art. 11(1), Art. 11(3) and Art. 26(2)
  • Carry out the Annex VII internal production control before placing packaging on the market, and re-assess conformity when the design, materials or the referenced standards change. Art. 15(2), Art. 15(4), Art. 38, Art. 39 and Annex VII
  • Draw up the Annex VII technical documentation per packaging type before placing it on the market. Art. 15(2) and Annex VII
  • Draw up the EU declaration of conformity per packaging type where the Annex VII procedure has demonstrated compliance. Art. 15(2) and Art. 39
  • Keep the technical documentation and the EU declaration of conformity for 5 years after placing single-use packaging on the market, or 10 years for reusable packaging. Art. 15(3)
  • Mark the packaging with a type, batch or serial number or other identifier, and with your name, registered trade name or trademark and a single postal address and, where available, electronic contact, on the packaging, in a QR code or other data carrier or in an accompanying document, without obscuring other mandatory labelling. Art. 15(5), Art. 15(6) and Art. 15(7)
  • From 12 August 2028, or 24 months after the implementing acts if later, apply the harmonised material-composition label; label reusable packaging as reusable with a QR code or other data carrier from 12 February 2029; follow the harmonised specification for any recycled-content or biobased-content label; and never use labels or symbols likely to mislead consumers about sustainability or sorting. Art. 12(1), Art. 12(2), Art. 12(4), Art. 12(5) and Art. 12(8)
  • Make environmental claims about packaging properties regulated by the regulation only where the packaging exceeds the minimum requirements, state whether the claim concerns the unit, part of it or all your packaging, and evidence it in the technical documentation. Art. 14
  • If you consider or have reason to believe that packaging you placed on the market since 11 February 2025 does not conform, immediately bring it into conformity, withdraw or recall it and inform the market surveillance authority of the Member State where you made it available; reusable packaging placed on the market before 11 February 2025 is exempt from this duty. Art. 15(8) and Art. 15(9)
  • On a reasoned request, provide the information and technical documentation demonstrating conformity in a language the authority understands, electronically and on request on paper, within 10 days, and cooperate on corrective action. Art. 15(10)
  • Be able to identify your packaging suppliers and customers for 5 years (single-use packaging) or 10 years (reusable packaging). Art. 22
  • Obtain from your suppliers of packaging and packaging materials the information and documentation you need to demonstrate conformity, including the Annex VII technical documentation and, for contact-sensitive packaging, the food-contact and similar documentation; suppliers are obliged to provide it. Art. 16
  • From 1 January 2030, do not place on the market packaging in the formats and uses of Annex V, such as single-use plastic grouped packaging, single-use plastic packaging for under 1,5 kg of fresh fruit and vegetables, single-use HORECA packaging and portion packs, single-use hotel toiletries and very lightweight plastic carrier bags. Art. 25(1) and Annex V
  • If you fill grouped, transport or e-commerce packaging, keep the empty space ratio at or below 50 % from 1 January 2030, or three years after the implementing act if later; if you fill sales packaging, reduce empty space to the minimum by 12 February 2028; filling materials count as empty space. Art. 24(1), Art. 24(3) and Art. 24(4)
  • From 1 January 2030, if you use transport packaging such as pallets, boxes, crates, drums or pallet wrappings, ensure at least 40 % is reusable within a re-use system, 100 % for transport between your own or linked sites and for deliveries to another operator in the same Member State, and 10 % of non-cardboard grouped boxes; pallet wrappings and straps are exempt from the 100 % requirements under Delegated Decision (EU) 2026/429. Art. 29(1), Art. 29(2), Art. 29(3), Art. 29(4) and Art. 29(5)Art. 1
  • If you use reusable packaging, participate in a re-use system meeting Part A of Annex VI, recondition the packaging per Part B before offering it again, and return closed-loop packaging to the approved collection points. Art. 27
Importer9
  • Place on the market only packaging that conforms to Articles 5 to 12, and before doing so verify that the manufacturer carried out the Annex VII conformity assessment and drew up the technical documentation, that the packaging is labelled per Article 12, is accompanied by the required documents and bears the manufacturer's identification and contact details; do not place non-conforming packaging on the market until it conforms. Art. 18(1) and Art. 18(2)
  • Indicate your name, registered trade name or trademark and a postal address and, where available, electronic contact on the packaging, via the Article 12 data carrier or in an accompanying document, clearly and without obscuring other mandatory information. Art. 18(3) and Art. 18(4)
  • Ensure storage and transport conditions under your responsibility do not jeopardise compliance, whether the packaging is empty or filled. Art. 18(5)
  • If you consider or have reason to believe that packaging you placed on the market does not conform, immediately bring it into conformity, withdraw or recall it and inform the market surveillance authorities of the Member States where you made it available. Art. 18(6)
  • Keep a copy of the EU declaration of conformity and be able to produce the technical documentation for 5 years (single-use) or 10 years (reusable) after placing the packaging on the market. Art. 18(7)
  • On reasoned request, provide the conformity information and documentation within 10 days in a language the authority understands, and cooperate on corrective action. Art. 18(8) and Art. 18(9)
  • Together with the manufacturer, ensure by 1 January 2030 that packaging is minimised in weight and volume and that plastic parts meet the recycled-content percentages, and document both in the technical documentation. Art. 7(6) and Art. 10(1)
  • If you place packaging on the market under your own name or trademark, or modify it in a way that could affect compliance, you carry the manufacturer's obligations under Article 15. Art. 21
  • On request, identify who supplied you with packaging or packaged products and whom you supplied, for 5 years (single-use) or 10 years (reusable). Art. 22
Distributor (including final distributors and retailers)10
  • Act with due care and, before making packaging available, verify that the producer responsible for it is registered in the register of producers, that the packaging is labelled per Article 12 and that the manufacturer and importer have applied their identification and contact details; hold back non-conforming packaging until it conforms. Art. 19(1), Art. 19(2) and Art. 19(3)
  • Keep storage and transport conditions from jeopardising conformity, and use the producer's registration information only to verify compliance, never for commercial purposes. Art. 19(3) and Art. 19(4)
  • If packaging you made available does not conform, make sure corrective measures are taken to bring it into conformity, withdraw or recall it, and immediately inform the market surveillance authorities of the Member States concerned. Art. 19(5)
  • On reasoned request, provide the information and documentation you hold that demonstrates conformity, and cooperate with the authority. Art. 19(6)
  • Be able to identify your packaging suppliers and customers for 5 years (single-use packaging) or 10 years (reusable packaging). Art. 22
  • If you sell under your own name or trademark or modify packaging in a way that could affect compliance, you take on the manufacturer's obligations. Art. 21
  • As a final distributor of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, make at least 10 % of those products available in reusable packaging within a re-use system from 1 January 2030, take back reusable packaging of the same type free of charge and redeem deposits; shops with a sales area of 100 m2 or less are exempt, and wine, spirits and highly perishable drinks are excluded. Art. 29(6), Art. 29(7), Art. 29(9) and Art. 29(10)
  • In the HORECA sector, from 12 February 2027 let consumers bring their own container for take-away drinks and ready-prepared food at no higher price, informing customers with visible signs. Art. 32
  • In the HORECA sector, from 12 February 2028 offer take-away drinks and ready-prepared food in reusable packaging within a re-use system, informing customers with visible signs; micro-enterprises are exempt. Art. 33
  • If you offer products through refill, display and update the rules for refill (container types, hygiene, the end user's responsibility), ensure refill stations meet Part C of Annex VI, and do not hand out free containers that fail Annex VI unless they are in a deposit system. Art. 28
Authorised representative3
  • Act under a written mandate that at least allows you to keep the EU declaration of conformity and technical documentation at the disposal of the authorities for 5 years (single-use) or 10 years (reusable), cooperate on non-compliance measures, provide conformity information on reasoned request in a language the authority understands, make documents available within 10 days, and terminate the mandate if the manufacturer breaches the regulation. Art. 17(2)
  • Do not take over the manufacturer's duty to place only compliant packaging on the market or to draw up the technical documentation; those cannot form part of the mandate. Art. 17(2), last subparagraph
  • Where appointed as authorised representative for the extended producer responsibility in a Member State, fulfil the producer's registration and reporting obligations under Chapter VIII there. Art. 3(1), point (20), Art. 44(3) and Art. 45(3)
Fulfilment service provider3
  • Ensure that warehousing, handling, packing, addressing and dispatching conditions for the packaging you handle, empty or filled, do not jeopardise its compliance with Articles 5 to 12. Art. 20
  • When contracting with a producer offering packaged products to consumers in the Union, obtain its producer register number and self-certification of extended producer responsibility compliance, make best efforts to verify them against the public register, request corrections, and suspend the service if the producer does not remedy inaccurate information. Art. 45(7), Art. 45(8) and Art. 45(9)
  • On request, identify the economic operators that supplied you with packaging or packaged products and those you supplied, for 5 years (single-use) or 10 years (reusable). Art. 22
Producer (extended producer responsibility)7
  • Register in the national register of producers of every Member State where you first make packaging or packaged products available, or unpack packaged products without being an end user, before doing so; a producer responsibility organisation or an authorised representative for extended producer responsibility may register on your behalf. Art. 44(2), Art. 44(3) and Art. 44(4)
  • Report by 1 June each year the packaging quantities of the preceding calendar year per Annex IX, Part B, or a simplified report below 10 tonnes a year; Member States may require audits or quarterly reporting. Art. 44(7), Art. 44(8) and Art. 44(12)
  • Notify the register of any change to your registration information without undue delay. Art. 44(9)
  • Carry extended producer responsibility under Articles 8 and 8a of Directive 2008/98/EC for the packaging you first make available or unpack, including the costs of labelling waste receptacles and of compositional surveys, with fees modulated by recyclability grade and, optionally, recycled content. Art. 45(1), Art. 45(2), Art. 6(8) and Art. 7(7)
  • If you sell directly to end users in a Member State other than the one where you are established, appoint by written mandate an authorised representative for the extended producer responsibility in that Member State. Art. 45(3)
  • Give online platforms and fulfilment service providers your register number in the consumer's Member State and a self-certification that you only offer packaging meeting the extended producer responsibility requirements there; you are responsible for the accuracy of that information. Art. 45(4), Art. 45(7) and Art. 45(8)
  • Where you use the option to mark packaging with an extended producer responsibility symbol from 12 February 2027, do so only through a QR code or other standardised digital marking that does not mislead about recyclability or reusability. Art. 12(9)
Provider of an online platform2
  • Before allowing a producer to offer packaging or packaged products to consumers in the Union, obtain its producer register number in the consumer's Member State and its self-certification of extended producer responsibility compliance, and make best efforts to assess that the information is complete and reliable. Art. 45(4) and Art. 45(6)
  • Where a producer sells through your marketplace, you may take over its extended producer responsibility cost obligations on the basis of a written mandate. Art. 45(4), second subparagraph

PPWR in plain terms

The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), formally Regulation (EU) 2025/40 on packaging and packaging waste, is the EU’s single rulebook for the whole life-cycle of packaging. It sets environmental sustainability and labelling requirements that packaging must meet to be placed on the market, and it lays down extended producer responsibility, packaging waste prevention, re-use and refill, and the collection and recycling of packaging waste (Art. 1(1)). Because it is a regulation, it applies directly in every Member State from 12 August 2026 without national transposition, and it replaces the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive 94/62/EC from that date (Art. 70 and Art. 71).

The regulation’s core rule is simple: packaging may only be placed on the market if it complies (Art. 4(1)). What “complies” means is built up in stages. Substance limits and the general obligations of economic operators apply from 12 August 2026; harmonised labelling follows from 12 August 2028; and the design requirements on recyclability, recycled content, minimisation, format restrictions and re-use targets apply from 1 January 2030, in several cases only 24 or 36 months after the Commission has adopted the supporting delegated and implementing acts if that is later.

Official text Read the regulation on EUR-Lex: Regulation (EU) 2025/40 (CELEX 32025R0040). The Commission’s guidance document C/2026/3084 interprets selected provisions; Delegated Decision (EU) 2026/429 exempts pallet wrappings and straps from the 100 % re-use requirements.

Scope

The regulation applies to all packaging, regardless of the material used, and to all packaging waste, whether it is used in or comes from industry, other manufacturing, retail or distribution, offices, services or households (Art. 2(1)). Packaging is any item an economic operator uses to contain, protect, handle, deliver or present products to another operator or an end user. The definition expressly includes items that are necessary to contain, support or preserve a product without being an integral part of it, their components and ancillary elements, service packaging designed to be filled at the point of sale, disposable items sold and filled at the point of sale, permeable tea and coffee bags, and single-serve beverage units used in a machine (Art. 3(1), point (1)); Annex I gives an indicative list of what is and is not packaging. The regulation distinguishes sales, grouped, transport and e-commerce packaging, and single-use from reusable packaging (Art. 3(1), points (5) to (8) and (27) to (28)).

The regulation sits alongside, not above, the rules on the packed product: it applies without prejudice to Union requirements on safety, quality, health protection and hygiene of packed products and to transport requirements, and where it conflicts with Directive 2008/68/EC on the inland transport of dangerous goods, that directive prevails (Art. 2(2)). Immediate and outer packaging of medicinal products, contact-sensitive packaging of medical devices and in vitro diagnostics, infant-food packaging and dangerous-goods packaging are carved out of the recyclability and recycled-content requirements (Art. 6(11) and Art. 7(4)).

Duties fall on economic operators: the manufacturer, supplier, importer, distributor, authorised representative, final distributor and fulfilment service provider (Art. 3(1), point (12)). The manufacturer is whoever manufactures packaging or a packaged product, or has either made under its own name or trademark; a micro-enterprise brand owner whose packaging supplier is in the same Member State is not the manufacturer, the supplier is (Art. 3(1), point (13)). Importers and distributors that sell under their own brand or modify packaging in a way that could affect compliance take on the manufacturer’s obligations (Art. 21). A separate role, the producer, carries extended producer responsibility: it is the manufacturer, importer or distributor that first makes packaging or packaged products available in a Member State, sells them directly to end users in another Member State, or unpacks packaged products without being an end user (Art. 3(1), point (15)). Online platforms and fulfilment service providers must check that the producers they serve are registered (Art. 45(4) to (8)).

What you must do

Substances in packaging

Packaging must be manufactured so that the presence and concentration of substances of concern are minimised (Art. 5(1)). The sum of lead, cadmium, mercury and hexavalent chromium in packaging or its components may not exceed 100 mg/kg (Art. 5(4)). From 12 August 2026, food-contact packaging may not be placed on the market with PFAS at or above 25 ppb for any PFAS, 250 ppb for the sum of PFAS or 50 ppm including polymeric PFAS (Art. 5(5)). Compliance is shown in the Annex VII technical documentation (Art. 5(6)). By 31 December 2026 the Commission, assisted by ECHA, must report on substances of concern in packaging (Art. 5(2)).

Recyclability, recycled content and compostability

All packaging must be recyclable: designed for material recycling and, when it becomes waste, collected separately, sorted and recycled at scale (Art. 6(1) and (2)). The manufacturer assesses recyclability against design-for-recycling criteria that the Commission must adopt by 1 January 2028 and grades it A, B or C (Art. 6(3) and (4)). From 1 January 2030, or 24 months after those delegated acts if later, packaging outside grades A to C may not be placed on the market; from 1 January 2038 only grades A and B remain (Art. 6(3)). The recycled-at-scale condition applies from 1 January 2035 or five years after the Commission’s methodology (Art. 6(2) and (5)). Innovative packaging may be marketed for up to five years without meeting the criteria, after notification to the competent authority (Art. 6(10)). Producers’ extended producer responsibility fees are modulated by recyclability grade 18 months after the criteria and methodology are in force (Art. 6(8)).

From 1 January 2030, or three years after the Commission’s calculation methodology if later, every plastic part of packaging must contain minimum recycled content from post-consumer plastic waste, calculated per manufacturing plant and year: 30 % for contact-sensitive PET, 10 % for other contact-sensitive plastics, 30 % for single-use plastic beverage bottles and 35 % for other plastic packaging, rising to 50 %, 25 %, 65 % and 65 % from 1 January 2040 (Art. 7(1) and (2)). Recycled content must come from waste collected and recycled in the Union or under equivalent standards (Art. 7(3)); medicinal, medical, compostable, dangerous-goods and infant-food packaging and plastic parts under 5 % of the packaging weight are exempt (Art. 7(4) and (5)). By 12 February 2028, tea, coffee and beverage bags and sticky fruit labels must be compostable, and other biodegradable packaging must be designed for material recycling (Art. 9(1) and (3)).

Minimisation and reusable packaging

By 1 January 2030 the manufacturer or importer must ensure that packaging weight and volume are reduced to the minimum necessary for functionality, assessed against the Annex IV performance criteria, and packaging whose only purpose is to increase perceived volume (double walls, false bottoms, unnecessary layers) may not be placed on the market unless a protected design, trademark or geographical indication justifies it (Art. 10(1) and (2)). Packaging placed on the market from 11 February 2025 is reusable only if it meets all nine criteria of Article 11(1), including being designed for as many rotations as possible, being reconditionable per Annex VI and being recyclable at end of life; the Commission sets minimum rotation numbers by 12 February 2027 (Art. 11).

Labelling and claims

From 12 August 2028, or 24 months after the Commission’s implementing acts if later, packaging must carry a harmonised pictogram label on its material composition to help consumers sort it; transport packaging other than e-commerce packaging and deposit-return packaging are excluded, and compostable packaging must be marked as not home-compostable and not to be discarded in nature (Art. 12(1)). Reusable packaging placed on the market from 12 February 2029 must be labelled as reusable with a QR code or other data carrier giving re-use system and collection information (Art. 12(2)). Recycled-content and biobased-content labels must follow the harmonised specification (Art. 12(4)). Labels must be visible, legible and firm, in a language the Member State determines, and the information must also be available before online purchase (Art. 12(5)). No label, mark, symbol or inscription may mislead consumers about sustainability, other packaging characteristics or waste management options (Art. 12(8)), and environmental claims about regulated packaging properties are allowed only where the packaging exceeds the minimum requirements (Art. 14).

The general obligations of economic operators

Manufacturers place on the market only conforming packaging, run the Annex VII internal production control, draw up the technical documentation and the EU declaration of conformity per packaging type, keep both for 5 years for single-use and 10 years for reusable packaging, keep series production in conformity, mark the packaging with an identifier and their name and contact details, take corrective action and inform the authority when packaging does not conform, and hand over documentation within 10 days of a reasoned request (Art. 15). Suppliers give manufacturers the documentation they need (Art. 16). Authorised representatives act under a mandate that must at least cover keeping documents and cooperating with authorities (Art. 17). Importers verify the manufacturer’s work before placing packaging on the market, add their own identification, guard conformity in storage and transport, take corrective action and keep the declaration of conformity available for 5 or 10 years (Art. 18). Distributors verify producer registration, labelling and identification, hold back non-conforming packaging and see that corrective action is taken (Art. 19). Fulfilment service providers keep warehousing, handling and dispatching from jeopardising compliance (Art. 20). Every operator must be able to name its suppliers and customers for 5 or 10 years (Art. 22).

Reducing packaging: empty space, format bans, re-use and refill

Operators that fill grouped, transport or e-commerce packaging must keep the empty-space ratio at or below 50 % from 1 January 2030, or three years after the Commission’s methodology if later, and filling materials such as air cushions and chips count as empty space; operators that fill sales packaging must reduce empty space to the minimum by 12 February 2028 (Art. 24). From 1 January 2030 the formats in Annex V may not be placed on the market: single-use plastic grouped packaging, single-use plastic packaging for less than 1,5 kg of fresh fruit and vegetables, single-use plastic packaging for food and drink consumed on HORECA premises, single-use plastic portion packs in HORECA, single-use hotel toiletries and very lightweight plastic carrier bags, each with the exceptions written into the Annex (Art. 25).

From 1 January 2030, operators using transport packaging or sales packaging used for transport must ensure at least 40 % is reusable within a re-use system, 100 % for movements between their own or linked sites and for deliveries to another operator in the same Member State, and 10 % for non-cardboard grouped boxes; final distributors of beverages must sell at least 10 % in reusable packaging and take it back free of charge, with exemptions for small shops, islands, sparsely populated municipalities, micro-enterprises under 1 000 kg a year and Member States that outperform their recycling and prevention targets (Art. 29). Delegated Decision (EU) 2026/429 exempts pallet wrappings and straps from the 100 % requirements. Anyone using reusable packaging must participate in a compliant re-use system and recondition the packaging (Art. 26 and Art. 27); refill stations must follow the Annex VI rules and display the rules for refill (Art. 28). In the HORECA sector, final distributors must let consumers bring their own container for take-away drinks and food by 12 February 2027 and offer reusable take-away packaging by 12 February 2028, micro-enterprises excepted (Art. 32 and Art. 33).

Extended producer responsibility and registers

Producers must register in the national register of every Member State where they first make packaging or packaged products available, or unpack them without being an end user, before doing so, and report the quantities of the preceding calendar year by 1 June; below 10 tonnes a year a simplified report applies (Art. 44). They carry extended producer responsibility under the Waste Framework Directive for that packaging, with the costs of labelling waste receptacles and compositional surveys added (Art. 45(1) and (2)). Producers selling directly to end users in another Member State must appoint an authorised representative for extended producer responsibility there (Art. 45(3)). Online platforms must collect the producer’s register number and self-certification before allowing sales, and fulfilment service providers must verify the same information and suspend producers that do not correct it (Art. 45(4) to (9)). Member States must reach 90 % separate collection of single-use plastic bottles and metal beverage containers up to three litres through deposit and return systems by 1 January 2029 (Art. 50), cut packaging waste per capita by 5 %, 10 % and 15 % in 2030, 2035 and 2040 against 2018 (Art. 43), and keep lightweight plastic carrier bag consumption at or below 40 per person a year (Art. 34).

Enforcement and penalties

The regulation adds itself to Annex I of Regulation (EU) 2019/1020, so the market surveillance framework applies to packaging (Art. 66). Where a market surveillance authority has sufficient reason to believe packaging presents a risk to the environment or human health, it evaluates it, requires proportionate corrective measures within a set period and, if the operator does not comply, prohibits the making available of the packaging, withdraws or recalls it, and informs the Commission and the other Member States (Art. 58). Compliant packaging that still presents a risk can be subject to the same measures (Art. 60), and customs authorities receive the information for import controls (Art. 61). Formal non-compliance, such as a missing or incorrect EU declaration of conformity, incomplete technical documentation, missing identification or a QR code without the required information, must be ended and, if it persists, leads to prohibition, recall or withdrawal; persistent non-compliance with the recyclability, recycled-content, empty-space, format, re-use, refill and take-away rules triggers the national penalties (Art. 62).

Penalties are set at national level. Member States must lay down effective, proportionate and dissuasive penalties by 12 February 2027 and notify them to the Commission, and for the waste-reduction duties of Articles 24 to 29 the penalties must include administrative fines or an equivalent court-imposed fine (Art. 68). In Denmark, Miljøstyrelsen (the Danish Environmental Protection Agency) is the competent authority designated to the Commission for the regulation, and producers register with Dansk Producentansvar.

How Conphora helps

Conphora monitors PPWR and maps your packaging against its requirements, flagging gaps in substance limits, recyclability grades, recycled content, labelling, the EU declaration of conformity and producer registration before they become enforcement problems. The platform helps you build and keep the technical documentation, tracks the 2026, 2028 and 2030 deadlines per packaging type, and alerts you when the Commission adopts the delegated and implementing acts that start the clocks.

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Sources

This guide is for general information and is not legal advice.

Penalties

Enforced by Market surveillance authorities designated by each Member State under Regulation (EU) 2019/1020, to whose Annex I the regulation is added, enforce the packaging requirements, and a competent authority in each Member State runs the register of producers and the extended producer responsibility rules; in Denmark the designated competent authority is Miljøstyrelsen (the Danish Environmental Protection Agency) and producers register with Dansk Producentansvar. The toolkit is corrective measures within a set period, prohibition, withdrawal or recall of non-compliant packaging, formal non-compliance orders, and national penalties that must be effective, proportionate and dissuasive and, for the waste-reduction duties of Articles 24 to 29, must include administrative fines.

Member States must lay down effective, proportionate and dissuasive penalties for infringements by 12 February 2027 and notify them to the Commission; for failures to meet the waste-reduction duties of Articles 24 to 29 (excessive packaging, format restrictions, re-use systems and re-use targets) the penalties must include administrative fines or an equivalent court-imposed fine. Market surveillance authorities may require corrective measures within a set period, prohibit the making available of packaging, withdraw or recall it, and act on formal non-compliance such as a missing or incorrect EU declaration of conformity, incomplete technical documentation, missing identification or a QR code without the required information; where non-compliance with the recyclability, recycled-content, empty-space, format, re-use, refill or take-away rules persists, the national penalties apply. The regulation adds itself to Annex I of Regulation (EU) 2019/1020, so the market surveillance powers of that regulation apply. In Denmark, Miljøstyrelsen is the designated competent authority and producers register with Dansk Producentansvar.

Source · Art. 68, Art. 58(1), Art. 58(5), Art. 62 and Art. 66SourceSource

What changed

Entry into force, amendments and Compliance Radar entries for PPWR, newest first.

  1. Guidance

    Guide rebuilt on the SPEC-62 model from the official text

    The earlier body of this guide described Council Directive 76/211/EEC on prepackaged products, which is not the regulation the code PPWR stands for. The guide now covers Regulation (EU) 2025/40 in full, with every date, duty and penalty taken from the Official Journal text, Delegated Decision (EU) 2026/429 and Commission Notice C/2026/3084.

    Source · Art. 1 to Art. 71
  2. Applies

    PPWR applies; Directive 94/62/EC repealed; PFAS limits for food-contact packaging

    Regulation (EU) 2025/40 applies in all Member States from 12 August 2026. Directive 94/62/EC is repealed from the same date, except for its essential requirements and marking, reporting and target provisions that run on until between 2028 and 2029 or until the labelling implementing act has applied for 30 months. Food-contact packaging with PFAS at or above the Article 5(5) limits may no longer be placed on the market, and the Commission's deadline for the harmonised labelling implementing acts falls on the same day.

    Source · Art. 71, Art. 70(1), Art. 5(5), Art. 12(6) and Art. 13(2)
  3. Guidance

    Commission publishes the PPWR frequently asked questions

    The Commission's set of frequently asked questions on the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, announced in Commission Notice C/2026/3084 as the complement to the guidance document, was published by DG Environment on 3 August 2026.

    Source
  4. Radar

    Commission clarifies rules on recycled content in single-use PET bottles under the PPWR

    The European Commission adopted measures clarifying how the recycled-plastic content of new single-use polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles is calculated under the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation. The aim is to ensure transparency and uniform application of the recycled-content requirements as the PPWR moves toward its general application date of 12 August 2026.

    European Commission - Press corner
  5. Guidance

    Commission Notice C/2026/3084: guidance document for Regulation (EU) 2025/40

    Published in the Official Journal C series on 10 June 2026, the guidance interprets selected provisions of the regulation to support uniform application, covering among other things the definitions of packaging, manufacturer, producer and importer, enforcement of the PFAS restriction and exhaustion of stocks, the application date of the recyclability requirement, exemptions from recycled-content targets, compostable packaging, minimisation and the empty-space ratio, the scope of harmonised labelling, the relationship with the Single-Use Plastics Directive and the Annex V bans, and the re-use targets. It does not replace, add to or amend the regulation.

    Source · subject matter and table of contents
  6. Guidance

    Delegated Decision (EU) 2026/429 on pallet wrappings and straps enters into force

    Adopted on 25 February 2026 and published in OJ L 2026/429 on 6 May 2026, the Commission's delegated decision supplements the regulation by exempting economic operators that use pallet wrappings or straps to stabilise and protect palletised products from the 100 % re-use requirements of Article 29(2) and (3). EUR-Lex lists no act amending the regulation itself; six corrigenda were published between May 2025 and August 2026.

    Source · Art. 1 and Art. 2Source
  7. In force

    Regulation (EU) 2025/40 enters into force

    Adopted on 19 December 2024 and published in OJ L 2025/40 on 22 January 2025, the regulation entered into force on the twentieth day after publication. From this date packaging placed on the market counts as reusable only if it meets the Article 11(1) criteria, and the corrective-action duty of Article 15(8) covers packaging placed on the market from this date; application of the regulation was deferred to 12 August 2026.

    Source · Art. 71, Art. 11(1) and Art. 15(8)

Tools and training

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A retailer asks for packaging data per product

Retailers now ask for packaging materials, weights, declarations and registration numbers per product. What the packaging regulation makes each party hold.

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We want to sell in another EU country

Expanding to a new EU country: local-language instructions and warnings, the online offer, national technical rules and mutual recognition, packaging EPR.

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We do not know what the packaging rules mean for us

What the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (EU) 2025/40 asks of manufacturers, importers and distributors: duties that apply now and those to come.

Regulation guides → Compliance Radar → PPWR packaging

We are unsure whether we are a packaging producer

How the PPWR defines a packaging producer: who makes packaging available first in a country, deliveries to end users abroad, and unpacking.

Regulation guides → Knowledge & insights

All problems for PPWR →

Questions people ask about PPWR

When does PPWR apply?

Regulation (EU) 2025/40 was published on 22 January 2025, entered into force on 11 February 2025 and applies from 12 August 2026, the date on which Directive 94/62/EC is repealed with a few transitional exceptions. Most design requirements phase in later: PFAS limits for food-contact packaging from 12 August 2026, harmonised labelling from 12 August 2028, and recyclability, recycled content, minimisation, format restrictions and re-use targets from 1 January 2030, several of them only 24 or 36 months after the Commission adopts the supporting acts if that is later.

Source · Art. 71, Art. 70(1), Art. 5(5), Art. 12(1), Art. 6(3), Art. 7(1), Art. 10(1), Art. 25(1) and Art. 29(1)
I sell packaged products but do not make packaging. Does PPWR apply to me?

Yes. Anyone who has a packaged product designed or manufactured under its own name or trademark is the manufacturer of that packaging, and importers and distributors that sell under their own brand or modify packaging in a way that could affect compliance take on the manufacturer's obligations. Separately, whoever first makes packaged products available in a Member State, sells them directly to end users in another Member State or unpacks packaged products without being an end user is the producer with extended producer responsibility and must register and report there. Micro-enterprises whose packaging supplier is in the same Member State are not the manufacturer; the supplier is.

Source · Art. 3(1), points (13) and (15), Art. 21 and Art. 44(2)
What are the PFAS limits for food packaging?

From 12 August 2026, food-contact packaging may not be placed on the market if it contains PFAS at or above 25 ppb for any PFAS measured by targeted analysis, 250 ppb for the sum of PFAS, or 50 ppm for PFAS including polymeric PFAS. If total fluorine exceeds 50 mg/kg, the substance supplier must on request prove how much is PFAS so the packaging manufacturer or importer can complete the technical documentation. The Commission must evaluate by 12 August 2030 whether the paragraph should be amended to avoid overlaps with REACH, food-contact and POPs restrictions.

Source · Art. 5(5)
When must packaging be recyclable, and what do grades A, B and C mean?

All packaging placed on the market must be recyclable, meaning designed for material recycling and, later, collected, sorted and recycled at scale. The manufacturer assesses recyclability against design-for-recycling criteria that the Commission must adopt by 1 January 2028 and expresses it as grade A, B or C. From 1 January 2030, or 24 months after those delegated acts if later, packaging outside grades A to C may not be placed on the market; from 1 January 2038 only grades A or B are allowed. Innovative packaging gets up to five years' grace, and immediate medicinal packaging, contact-sensitive medical-device packaging, dangerous-goods packaging and sales packaging of lightweight wood, cork, textile, rubber, ceramic, porcelain or wax are exempt.

Source · Art. 6(1), Art. 6(2), Art. 6(3), Art. 6(4), Art. 6(10) and Art. 6(11)
What recycled content must plastic packaging contain?

From 1 January 2030, or three years after the Commission's calculation methodology if later, every plastic part of packaging must contain recycled content from post-consumer plastic waste, calculated as an average per manufacturing plant and year: 30 % for contact-sensitive PET packaging, 10 % for contact-sensitive packaging of other plastics, 30 % for single-use plastic beverage bottles and 35 % for other plastic packaging. From 1 January 2040 the percentages rise to 50 %, 25 %, 65 % and 65 %. Medicinal and medical-device packaging, compostable plastic packaging, dangerous-goods packaging, infant-food packaging and plastic parts under 5 % of the packaging weight are exempt.

Source · Art. 7(1), Art. 7(2), Art. 7(4) and Art. 7(5)
What labelling does PPWR require on packaging?

From 12 August 2028, or 24 months after the Commission's implementing acts if later, packaging must carry a harmonised pictogram label on its material composition to help consumers sort it, except transport packaging (other than e-commerce packaging) and deposit-return packaging; compostable packaging must say it is not home-compostable. Reusable packaging placed on the market from 12 February 2029 must be labelled as reusable with a QR code or other data carrier. Recycled-content and biobased-content labels must follow the harmonised specification, labels must be visible, legible, firmly affixed and available online before purchase, and no label or symbol may mislead consumers about sustainability or sorting.

Source · Art. 12(1), Art. 12(2), Art. 12(4), Art. 12(5), Art. 12(6) and Art. 12(8)
Which packaging formats are banned from 2030?

From 1 January 2030, economic operators may not place on the market the formats listed in Annex V: single-use plastic grouped packaging such as collation films around multipacks, single-use plastic packaging for less than 1,5 kg of unprocessed fresh fruit and vegetables, single-use plastic packaging for food and drinks consumed on the premises in the HORECA sector, single-use plastic portion packs for condiments, sauces, creamer, sugar and seasoning in HORECA, single-use hotel toiletries for an individual booking, and very lightweight plastic carrier bags, each with the exceptions written into the Annex. Member States may allow micro-enterprises to keep using the HORECA formats where alternatives are not technically feasible.

Source · Art. 25(1), Art. 25(4) and Annex V
What are the re-use targets for transport packaging?

From 1 January 2030, operators using transport packaging or sales packaging used for transport, such as pallets, boxes, trays, crates, drums, canisters and pallet wrappings or straps, must ensure that at least 40 % of it is reusable within a re-use system, rising to an endeavour of 70 % by 2040. Transport between an operator's own or linked sites and deliveries to another operator in the same Member State must use 100 % reusable packaging, except that Delegated Decision (EU) 2026/429 exempts pallet wrappings and straps from the 100 % requirements. Cardboard boxes, dangerous-goods packaging, custom packaging for large machinery and flexible packaging in direct contact with food are outside the targets, and micro-enterprises making no more than 1 000 kg of packaging available a year are exempt.

Source · Art. 29(1), Art. 29(2), Art. 29(3), Art. 29(4) and Art. 29(13)Source · Art. 1

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Related

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Sources

  1. Regulation (EU) 2025/40 on packaging and packaging waste, OJ L 2025/40 of 22 January 2025 (EUR-Lex) https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32025R0040
  2. Document information, dates, corrigenda and relationships for CELEX 32025R0040 (EUR-Lex) https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=CELEX:32025R0040
  3. Commission Delegated Decision (EU) 2026/429 exempting pallet wrappings and straps from the 100 % re-use requirements (EUR-Lex) https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32026D0429
  4. Commission Notice C/2026/3084, guidance document for Regulation (EU) 2025/40 on packaging and packaging waste (EUR-Lex) https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52026XC03084
  5. Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 on market surveillance and compliance of products (EUR-Lex) https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32019R1020
  6. Packaging waste (European Commission, DG Environment) https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/waste-and-recycling/packaging-waste_en
  7. Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, implementation and national competent authorities (European Commission, Green Forum) https://green-forum.ec.europa.eu/packaging-and-packaging-waste-regulation-implementation_en
  8. Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, frequently asked questions of 3 August 2026 (European Commission) https://environment.ec.europa.eu/publications/faq-packaging-and-packaging-waste-regulation-ppwr_en
  9. Producentansvar for emballage, typiske spørgsmål og svar (Miljøstyrelsen) https://mst.dk/erhverv/groen-produktion-og-affald/affald-og-genanvendelse/producentansvar/emballage/typiske-spoergsmaal-og-svar

About this guide

Reviewed by
Conphora compliance team, Compliance editors, Conphora
Reviewed
24 September 2026
Next review
13 March 2027

Written from the official text on EUR-Lex and the Commission’s guidance, with a source for every fact. It is not legal advice.

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Conphora (2026). PPWR: Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2025/40), explained. Retrieved 13 October 2026 from https://www.conphora.com/regulations/ppwr/
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