For those of us based in, or with customers in Europe, you’ll know something about the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation. This is also referred to as PPWR (opens in a new window or tab), and its purpose is to tackle waste from packaging, promote recycling and reuse of materials, and generally shift towards more sustainable practices. 

There’s a lot of noise around what it will mean and how it will transform the packaging industry. As a global supplier of packaging and adhesives, it is our responsibility to be part of the transformation. It’s also a priority of ours to help empower your understanding and guide you through the process.

Within this article, we’ll help you to understand:

• Key dates and a timeline for deadlines and the implementation of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation
• A scope of what products will be affected
• PPWR obligations

The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) is an EU law that will take effect from  August 2026. It replaces the previous Packaging and Waste Directive 94/62/EC (PPWD) (opens in a new window or tab), which came into force in December 1994.

What’s the difference between the 1994 directive and this new regulation (opens in a new window or tab)? In a nutshell, a directive is more flexible in that each member state essentially devises its own law on how to comply, and it is not enforceable. Whereas a regulation is a legal act that is enforceable and binds all member states to comply.

In summary, PPWR is legally binding, whereas directives and other national or international standards are guidelines. Member state rules, such as for recycling, will all be harmonized to the rules defined in the PPWR.

The goal is to reduce the environmental impact and standardize packaging regulations across the EU. Enforcing this regulation means rules on labelling, excess packaging, recyclability, and re-use of packaging will be harmonized across the region.

The key aims of PPWR

The PPWR came into force in February 2025. The requirements are set out on the European Union’s centralized website (opens in a new window or tab), as follows: 

• Prevent and reduce packaging waste.
• Make all packaging on the EU market recyclable in an economically viable way by 2030.
• Safely increase the use of recycled plastic and biobased materials in plastics packaging.
• Decrease the use of fossil-based virgin materials in packaging and put the sector on track to climate neutrality by 2050.
• Minimize packaging in weight and volume as well as remove excess packaging, such as free space in transport and ecommerce packaging, and respective space-filling materials.

Additionally, this means the following new rules will apply:

• Certain single-use plastics, such as individual sachets of condiments and sauces, will become restricted. As well as a ban on plastic packaging used at the point of sale, to group products for sale, unless it facilitates handling.
• Businesses that offer takeaways must allow customers the option to bring their own containers.
• Substances of concern (SoC) will be further minimized, which will include restrictions on PFAS exceeding certain thresholds. 

Packaging refers to any item intended for the containment, protection, handling, delivery, or presentation of products. It has been confirmed that adhesives will not fall into this definition. 

That said, while adhesive isn't considered packaging, the material, such as the tape, can be considered packaging if applied in a manner by our customers that meets the definition. 

Items are not regarded as packaging when used, consumed, or disposed of together with a product and when its functionality is intrinsically linked to it being part of that product.

In short, yes. 

As the regulation is new, you have until August 2026 to start implementing the initial requirements and conformity declarations. The timeline below outlines what we know is coming and the dates for each milestone (as of November 2025).

By 12th February 2027, member states will announce the administrative fines applicable to those who do not comply with PPWR.

Yes - PPWR will impact the entire packaging supply chain. This includes the following:

• Manufacturers
• Importers
• Brand owners
• Retailers
• eCommerce companies
• Waste management companies

Extended Producer Responsibility fees will be calculated for targets such as the recyclability of the packaging. This includes recycled content for plastic packaging. The EPR fees will be set by member states.

As with all new regulations, the transformation will not happen overnight. This timeline of key dates pinpoints what needs to happen, when. 

• Goods being made available for the first time after January 2030 will have to conform to sustainability requirements with minimum targets in place for the recyclability, use of recycled/biobased plastics, minimized packaging construction and empty space, and reusable packaging (especially for transport).

The full scope for the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation can be found here (opens in a new window or tab). 

Find out more about REACH (opens in a new window or tab) and Heavy Metal (opens in a new window or tab) limits (and PFA limits (opens in a new window or tab) for goods that come into contact with food).

Two of our core action areas are to create more sustainable adhesive products and to support our customers. For years, we have been dedicated to developing products that help improve the recyclability of packaging and reduce waste as a whole. We have done this through revolutionizing adhesive debonding to be residue-free and investing in more sustainable practices, processes, and materials. 

We believe that the harmonizing of rules across all member states, manufacturers, and consumers will enable them to make better choices about packaging and how to dispose of it. Our customer support team is here to help you understand the products available and how to make sure they meet your compliance requirements.