Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR)
Our key learning from latest congresses and industry events on sustainable packaging is clear: Across the industry, and especially among brand owners, there is a shared concern that the current lack of clarity surrounding the PPWR is becoming a major barrier to fulfill the various ambitious EU targets from 2030 on.
What we have learned from recent industry discussions is that sustainability targets are ambitious and clearly well intentioned, but there’s too much insecurity and anticipation in the current version of the PPWR. Brand owners are ready to act, yet meaningful progress requires clear, reliable and workable regulatory frameworks that can be applied in practice.
What we believe needs to happen now:
- Provide clarity and guidance: Delegated and Implementing Acts should be delivered on time, with practical guidance (e.g. Design for Recycling, minimum recycled content).
- Allow realistic transition periods for system-wide change.
- Limit bureaucracy and focus on implementable solutions.
- Align targets with reality: recycled content requirements must match actual availability and EFSA-approved recycling processes.
- Stay technology- and material-neutral: packaging must first protect the product while meeting sustainability goals – there is no one-size-fits-all material solution.
Our conviction is clear: Sustainable packaging will only succeed if regulation combines ambition with clarity, feasibility and real-world conditions. When these elements come together, plastics can play a responsible and essential role in protecting products, conserving resources and enabling a truly circular economy.