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11/06/2026 
4 min. The PPWR is not a general declaration of sustainability, but a concrete set of rules. It defines step by step what packaging will need to deliver in the future – turning environmental goals into regulatory requirements.
A step-by-step Model with a clear Direction
At its core, the PPWR is a regulation aimed at reducing packaging waste, improving packaging recyclability, and increasing the use of post-consumer recyclates. It is closely linked to the EU's Circular Economy Action Plan and is therefore part of the overarching goal of driving forward the circular economy in Europe in a binding manner.
The regulation was published under the number 2025/40 Official Journal of the EU on January 22, 2025. It came into force on February 11, 2025, and will apply from August 12, 2026. Many of its key provisions, however, will be introduced in stages – especially from 2030 onward.
As early as August 2026, the following will apply in principle: all packaging placed on the market must be recyclable. Beginning on January 1, 2030, this requirement will become more specific. Compliance with design-for-recycling criteria will then become mandatory. In the future, packaging must be designed in such a way that the recycling process can recover secondary raw materials capable of actually replacing primary raw materials.
For plastic packaging, that means one thing in particular: starting in 2030, companies will need to prove recyclability of at least 70 percent according to EU standards. Starting in 2035, the so-called “recycled at scale” criterion will then become the standard. In other words, packaging may no longer be placed on the market if no sufficiently scalable recycling process exists for it.
The use of post-consumer recyclates is also clearly regulated by the PPWR. What was long considered a strategic target will now become a binding requirement. Starting in January 2030, different minimum percentages will apply depending on packaging type and application. For contact-sensitive packaging with PET as the main component, the requirement is 30 percent; for contact-sensitive packaging made from other plastic materials, it is initially 10 percent. Disposable plastic drink bottles must also contain 30 percent recyclate, while other plastic packaging must contain 35 percent.
Starting on January 1, 2040, these requirements will increase further. Among other things, 50 percent will then apply to contact-sensitive plastic packaging, 25 percent to materials other than PET and 65 percent to plastic drink bottles and other plastic packaging. Certain sensitive applications, such as compostable plastic packaging or packaging for infant and children's food, are exempt. However, it is also clear that where exceptions apply, they must be properly documented and justified.
Another key component of the regulation is packaging design. Article 10 of the PPWR stipulates that, from January 1, 2030, packaging must be reduced to the minimum necessary to ensure its functionality. By February 2027, harmonized standards are expected to define specific maximum limits for weight, volume, wall thickness, and empty space.
The direction is clear: in the future, packaging should be determined primarily by functional criteria such as product protection, logistics, or legal requirements. Oversized packaging or unnecessarily heavy packaging will therefore be a thing of the past. This is particularly clear in the case of transport and e-commerce packaging: From 2030, they must not contain more than half of their internal volume as empty space.
For now, the regulation remains comparatively open when it comes to bio-based packaging. Article 8 addresses the topic, but specific requirements have not yet been fully defined. The EU Commission wants to review the current state of technological development and the environmental compatibility of bio-based plastic packaging by February 12, 2028 and, based on this, develop a legislative proposal with concrete sustainability requirements and targets.
The topic therefore remains highly relevant – but is still in an intermediate regulatory status.
Part 3 – Implementation in practice: What companies can expect now