Regulation (EU) 2025/40 on packaging and packaging waste, known as the PPWR, replaces the old Packaging Directive 94/62/EC. It entered into force on 11 February 2025 and has applied generally since 12 August 2026. Because it is a regulation rather than a directive, the same rules apply directly in every EU member state, which matters to any supplier whose products are shipped into Europe.
Who it affects
The PPWR covers all packaging placed on the EU market, whatever the material and whoever made it. Manufacturers outside the EU are affected through their customers: EU importers and brands must show that the packaging they place on the market complies, so they will pass requirements and documentation requests back to their suppliers.
The main obligations, in order of timing
- Restrictions on certain substances, including limits on PFAS in food-contact packaging, apply from August 2026.
- Packaging must be designed for recycling, with recyclability performance grades applying from 2030.
- Minimum recycled-content targets for plastic packaging apply from 2030, rising again in 2040.
- Packaging must be minimised in weight and volume, with limits on empty space in grouped, transport and e-commerce packaging.
- Harmonised labelling on material composition is being phased in, with detailed rules set by implementing acts.
- Reuse targets apply to some transport and sales packaging, and some single-use plastic formats face restrictions from 2030.
What buyers should ask suppliers now
Ask for material specifications, declarations of conformity for substances, and evidence of recycled content where you will need it. Put these requirements into your request scope so suppliers price them in from the start rather than adding them later.
What exporters should prepare
Keep technical documentation for each packaging format, track the composition of the materials you use, and talk to your EU customers about which deadlines apply to their products. Several detailed rules are still being defined through secondary legislation, so check the official EU text before making design decisions.
Sources
Regulation (EU) 2025/40 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 December 2024, published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 22 January 2025 and available on EUR-Lex. This article is a summary for orientation and is not legal advice.
Buyer guides
Short, field-tested guides for procurement teams: how to write a request suppliers can price accurately, and how to compare the quotes that come back.