EU regulationen
Packaging Directive
EU regulation on packaging and packaging waste aimed at reducing environmental impact and promoting the circular economy.
The EU's packaging regulation (Proposed Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, PPWR, being adopted to replace Directive 94/62/EC) aims to drastically reduce the environmental impact of packaging.
Key measures in the new regulation:
- Reduction: binding targets for packaging reduction (5 % by 2030, 10 % by 2035, 15 % by 2040)
- Reuse: reuse obligations for certain sectors (e-commerce, beverages, transport)
- Recyclability: all packaging must be recyclable by 2030 and effectively recycled at scale by 2035
- Recycled content: minimum recycled content rates for plastic packaging
- Hazardous substances: restrictions on PFAS and other substances of concern
For importers, the implications are significant:
- Packaging compliance with new design and material requirements
- Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) obligations: contribution to collection and recycling systems in each Member State
- Harmonised labelling: information on composition and sorting instructions
Exporters to the EU must anticipate these changes by adapting their packaging.