The European Union has adopted a far-reaching new law on packaging and packaging waste, known as the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (EU) 2025/40 (PPWR). This regulation was published in the Official Journal of the EU on 22 January 2025, replacing the old Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (94/62/EC) and introducing a uniform, binding legal framework that applies directly across all EU Member States, with application starting on 12 August 2026.
The PPWR is a cornerstone of the EU’s circular economy and sustainable growth agenda, aiming to significantly reduce packaging waste, increase recycling and reuse, and harmonise packaging rules across the internal market. It covers the entire life cycle of packaging from design and material selection to labelling, recycling and end-of-life management.
Key elements include:
- Mandatory recyclability and recycled content requirements for packaging materials, phased in over time to drive circular design and reduce dependency on virgin resources.
- Uniform obligations for all operators placing packaging on the EU market, including manufacturers, importers, distributors and online sellers.
- Waste reduction targets and measures to minimise unnecessary packaging and harmful substances.
- A transition from a directive (which allowed national variation) to a regulation that applies EU-wide, creating a single, harmonised legal standard.
The PPWR is one of the most significant EU environmental laws in decades, reshaping packaging compliance and driving sustainability across industries operating in or exporting to the European market.
Official legal source:
* Regulation (EU) 2025/40 on packaging and packaging waste — full text published in the EU Official Journal: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2025/40/oj/