Views: 0 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2026-08-21 Origin: Site
The EU's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation ( PPWR ) will be officially enforced from August 12, 2026 , and will replace the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (PPWD). Regulatory requirements cover many aspects such as packaging design, material safety, recyclability, recycled plastic content, packaging minimization, unified labeling, reuse targets, declaration of conformity and extended producer responsibility (EPR). For packaging companies, brands, manufacturing companies, cross-border e-commerce and foreign trade companies exporting to the EU, PPWR not only affects the packaging itself, but also affects product listing, customer review, platform operations, customs clearance and delivery, and member states' EPR compliance.
This article will sort out the scope of application, core definitions, main compliance requirements, procedural obligations and response paths of export companies around PPWR, providing a reference for relevant companies to understand regulatory requirements, identify compliance risks and formulate phased response plans.
PPWR covers the entire chain of management and control from packaging design, production, circulation, use to waste. All packaging materials must meet the relevant requirements of PPWR, including plastic, paper, metal, glass and composite materials.
Regulations apply to packaging and packaging waste in all use scenarios, including industrial packaging, commercial packaging, consumer product packaging and logistics packaging. Only a few specific categories are exempt from some provisions, such as dangerous goods transport packaging and specific medical contact packaging.
From the perspective of responsible entities, all companies that place packaged or pre-packaged products on the EU market are subject to restrictions. Coverage includes packaging manufacturers, manufacturers, EU domestic manufacturers, importers, distributors, offline retailers and cross-border e-commerce sellers.
This regulation does not impose restrictions on the location of enterprises. Whether enterprises are located within the EU or outside the EU, they must fulfill corresponding compliance obligations.
| Self-check questions | If the answer is 'yes', it is recommended to pay attention |
| Does the product or packaging enter the EU market? | PPWR basic suitability |
| Is it food contact packaging? | PFAS, food contact materials (FCM), heavy metal requirements |
| Does the packaging contain plastic parts? | Recycled plastic content, recyclability |
| Does it involve e-commerce packaging, transportation packaging or combination packaging? | Void ratio, reuse goals |
| Is it sold through the platform or member states? | EPR registration and declaration |
Packaging is defined in the PPWR as: an article made of any material used by an operator to contain, protect, handle, distribute or display product for use by other operators or end users. The regulations also divide packaging into different categories, as shown in the table.
| category | illustrate | Example |
| Necessities during the product life cycle | Accompany the product throughout its life, but is not an integral part of the product. It is used together with the product, consumed and disposed of. | Soy sauce bottles, toothpaste tubes, cosmetic bottles, plastic protective shells for toys |
| Integrated accessories | Hang or stick directly on the product to serve as packaging | Soy sauce bottle caps, toothpaste tube caps, perfume pump heads |
| Hanging or pasted appendages | Components integrated into the body of the packaging | Labels on clothes, price tags hung on products, sticker labels directly attached to fruits/vegetables |
| Service packaging | Fill items to hold products at the point of sale | Paper bags from delis, takeaway cups from cafes |
| Disposable point-of-sale items | Sold at the point of sale and filled or intended to be filled at the point of sale | Disposable tableware, takeout boxes |
| Tea/coffee bags and capsules | A unit that is used and discarded together with its contents, whether permeable (e.g. tea bags) or impermeable (e.g. coffee capsules) | Tea bags, coffee capsules, soft drinks single serving units |
Manufacturer is a natural or legal person who produces packaging or packaged products. They are often the owners of the product brand and the manufacturer is responsible for the sustainability and labeling of the packaging.
Manufacturers or importers or distributors who place packages or packaged products on the market for the first time in a Member State are responsible for fulfilling the Member State's extended producer responsibility. There is always only one manufacturer in the supply chain, but there can be multiple producers, who may also be manufacturers, importers or distributors.
Time node overview:
| Implementation date | Corresponding regulatory provisions | Compliance requirements content |
| 2026.8.12 | Article5 | Hazardous Substance Restrictions: 1. The total content of the four heavy metals lead, cadmium, mercury and hexavalent chromium is ≤100mg/kg; 2. The PFAS limit for food contact materials officially takes effect. |
| Article6 | All packaging placed on the EU market must be recyclable | |
| Article39 | Manufacturers need to prepare DOC and related technical documents that meet the requirements | |
| Article45 | Producers need to fulfill EPR responsibilities | |
| 2028.2.12 | Article9 | Tea and coffee filter bags, and self-adhesive labels for fruits and vegetables must be compostable packaging |
| 2028.8.12 | Article12 | Packages must adhere to uniform labeling and marking requirements |
| 2030.1.1 | Article6 | All packaging placed on the EU market must meet Grade C |
| Article7 | Plastic packaging meets recycled plastic content requirements | |
| Article10 | Packaging weight and volume are reduced to the minimum necessary level while meeting basic functions. | |
| Article24 | The void ratio in combination packaging, transportation packaging and e-commerce packaging must not exceed 50% | |
| Article11 | Transport packaging, combination packaging and beverage sales packaging achieve packaging reuse rate | |
| 2038.1.1 | Article6 | All packaging placed on the EU market must reach Grade B |
The implementation of PPWR means that EU packaging compliance has entered a new stage that is more unified, mandatory and systematic. For packaging companies exporting to the EU, completing packaging sorting, EPR registration, testing and evaluation, document preparation and design optimization in advance has become a necessary action to defend the EU market. The earlier compliance preparations are made, the greater the initiative a company will have in customer review, platform operations, customs clearance delivery, and market competition.
IQTC (Guangzhou Customs Technology Center) focuses on PPWR Articles 5-12 and EPR compliance requirements to provide export companies with one-stop technical services covering material testing, compliance assessment, packaging optimization, document support and supply chain management, assisting companies to meet the compliance requirements of EU packaging regulations at all stages.
| service module | Service content | Technical output |
| Hazardous substance detection | Screening for high-risk substances such as heavy metals and PFAS in packaging materials | Heavy metal detection report, PFAS/total fluorine screening report |
| Food Contact Materials Compliance Assessment | Conducting regulatory compliance assessments for food contact packaging | FCM test report and regulatory compliance assessment report |
| Packaging recyclability assessment | Evaluate packaging structure, material combination and recycling performance, and identify design risks | Recyclability assessment report, packaging optimization suggestions |
| Compostable packaging testing and certification | Industrial composting performance verification for applicable packaging | Compostability performance test report and certification support |
| Regeneration content verification | Conduct PCR content verification and improve recycled material supply chain data | PCR content verification report, supply chain document arrangement |
| Packaging label audit | Track EU harmonized labeling requirements and assess label compliance | Label review opinions and regulatory requirements updates |
| EPR and compliance document support | Support enterprises to complete EPR contract performance and technical document management | EPR registration application support, DoC and technical file arrangement |
Contributed by: National Key Laboratory for Testing of Food Contact Materials (Guangdong), Technical Trade Measures Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Research Platform. The content is for reference only. If there is any adjustment, please refer to the latest requirements.
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