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The European Union's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) entered into force on February 11, 2025. The regulation represents a significant overhaul in the EU's approach to packaging sustainability. It replaces the 1994 Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive, introducing uniform and stringent requirements aimed at reducing packaging waste and promoting a circular economy.

Changing from an EU directive to an EU regulation means the PPWR will be directly effective throughout all Member States rather than being implemented by a Member State's domestic legislation. There will therefore be greater harmonization of measures among the EU Member States. 

The PPWR applies to all forms of packaging regardless of the materials utilized and to all packaging waste regardless of its point of origin. In this regard, the PPWR affects all companies based in the EU but also companies that import packaging products into the EU. 

The PPWR will introduce a national registration obligation for producers prior to placing packaging on the market of each Member State. In addition, the PPWR will introduce various constraints and obligations relating to packaging design, material use and recyclability, which are set out below. Strict targets for the reduction of packaging waste will be introduced, rising to at least 15% by 2040 compared to 2018 figures.

The PPWR objectives are:

• Waste reduction: Achieve a 15% per capita reduction in packaging waste by 2040 compared to 2018 levels. 
• Recyclability: Ensure all packaging is recyclable by 2030, in adherence to specific design-for-recycling criteria. 
• Recycled content: Mandate minimum thresholds of post-consumer recycled material in plastic packaging, with targets escalating between 2030 and 2040. 
• Reuse and refill: Implement mandatory reuse and refill targets for various sectors, including beverages and retail, to decrease reliance on single-use packaging. 

Compliance requirements for package producers

To align with the PPWR, packaging producers need to address three main aspects:

1. Design for recyclability. By 2030, packaging must meet recyclability grades:
   1. A (≥95%): Highly recyclable, minimal processing needed.
   2. B (≥80%): Mostly recyclable, may require sorting or minor processing.
   3. C (≥70%): Recyclable but with limitations.
   4. Packaging below 70% recyclability will face market restrictions.
2. Incorporate recycled content. Integrate specified percentages of post-consumer recycled material (PCR) into plastic packaging, varying by packaging type and increasing over time.
3. Minimize packaging volume. Reduce packaging to its essential minimum, prohibiting designs that artificially inflate product size. Packaging that has no function or is intended to increase the perceived size of the product (e.g., through double walls, false bottoms, etc.) is not permitted. From 2030 onwards, the empty space ratio must not exceed 50%. 

Additionally, the PPWR introduces various guidelines:

• Eliminate harmful substances: Ensure packaging materials are free from or contain minimal levels of potentially toxic substances. This includes the actual packaging material and all parts that make up the packaging, e.g. labeling. These restrictions will be particularly strict for packaging that comes into contact with food and contains perfluorinated and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) above certain threshold values. (PFAS are a group of synthetic chemicals widely used in industrial and consumer products due to their water-and-grease-resistant properties. They are often called "forever chemicals" because they are highly persistent in the environment and the human body, breaking down very slowly over time.)
• Meet reuse and refill targets: Adopt systems to facilitate the reuse and refill of packaging for food and drink, including a percentage requirement for products to be offered in reusable/refillable packaging, with sector-specific targets commencing in 2030. 
• Packaging bans: The PPWR includes a planned ban on certain single-use packaging starting on 1 January 2030, such as packaging for unprocessed fruit and vegetables and plastic food and drink packaging.
• Comply with labeling standards: Packaging will be required to carry a label with information on the material composition. The end consumer must recognize what is contained in the packaging, how to dispose of it, or how to access a reuse system and collection points, via a QR code or another digital data carrier.
• Fulfill Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR): Requires registering in each Member State where products are marketed and contributing financially to the collection, sorting, and recycling of packaging waste. These compliance scheme obligations will apply only to EU companies, although this will affect the nature of the packaging on products imported from outside the EU if these do not comply with the other requirements under the PPWR.
• Consequences for companies disregarding the regulation: The PPWR includes provisions requiring Member States to incorporate sanctions for non-compliance into their national law. These are to be adopted within 24 months of the PPWR coming into force. For certain offenses (obligations in connection with excessive packaging, reusable packaging, or refilling), the PPWR prescribes the imposition of fines on producers who are not compliant with the PPWR.

Emerging Technological Solutions

Several technological advancements are poised to assist producers in complying with the PPWR:

• Bioplastics: Innovations in bioplastics derived from renewable sources like corn and seaweed offer environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional plastics. However, their biodegradability and potential toxicity are under scrutiny, and these alternative solutions will require regulations to ensure genuine sustainability. 
  Until then, innovation thrives. Australia-based BioPak uses sugarcane waste to make takeaway packaging that is home-compostable. In the USA, Loliware makes drinking straws from biodegradable seaweed. UK-based Sparxell specializes in plant-based pigments, an alternative to the toxic additives used to color plastic.
• Recycling technologies: Advancements in chemical recycling and sorting technologies are improving the quality and supply of recycled materials, helping producers meet recycled content requirements.
• Reusable packaging systems: Technological platforms facilitating the tracking and management of reusable packaging can help businesses meet reuse and refill targets efficiently.

By integrating these technological solutions and adhering to the PPWR's comprehensive requirements, package producers can significantly contribute to a more sustainable and circular packaging ecosystem within the EU.

Regulations and innovations: recent developments in EU packaging

The case of the tethered cap regulation: Despite the Financial Times’ catchy headline – Why are caps now attached to bottles? Blame the EU – discussing the European Union's regulation mandating that all beverage bottles up to three liters must have caps attached to reduce marine plastic pollution, the regulation is a success story and can truly bring sustainable change.

This regulation is environmentally motivated. Bottle caps constitute approximately 13% of plastic marine litter. The EU's directive aims to decrease this pollution by ensuring caps remain tethered to bottles, thereby reducing the likelihood of them being discarded separately. 

The implementation of the regulation initially found resistance among the beverage companies. The industry anticipated additional costs and logistical challenges. Instead, the regulation has contributed to spurring innovation, leading to designs that use less plastic in caps and bottle necks. 

Although the UK is no longer part of the EU, multinational companies have implemented these attached caps in the UK market as well to maintain uniformity in their product lines. 

Some consumers have found the new attached caps inconvenient, experiencing issues like the cap interfering while drinking. Despite these initial challenges, it is expected that consumers will adapt over time. The swing-top cap will certainly evolve design with further iterations. Think of the “Bügelverschlüsse”, the swing-top closure composed of metal, rubber, and porcelain, that recalls our childhood memories of sparkling fresh lemonade in glass bottles. Its patent registration was described as such:

Utility model registration: Class 64.61442 Bottle closure made of wire with a bracket on the bottle neck which pulls a nose of the stopper downwards by means of a lever and a hinged loop connecting the stopper to the latter.

– Announcement in the Burgstädter Anzeiger and Tageblatt, August 27, 1896

The Future Is Now

The new EU regulations highlight the essential nature of sustainable innovation in packaging and recycling, especially in designing products and solutions with nature as an ally during necessary behavioral changes throughout the value chain, from production to consumption. These regulations will create opportunities for the recycling and sustainability sectors. They signify an important step towards a more competitive, sustainable, and circular economy for the EU. No matter how hard conservative politics may try to pull back, a new generation has been ready to take action for some time and will not give up: the future belongs to those who fight for it.

AlmaScience: at the forefront of smart packaging

Thinking out of the box for the past five years, AlmaScience sees sustainable innovation as the only way forward.

AlmaScience is an applied innovation lab dedicated to the development of sustainable functional materials and green electronics. The co-lab is home to a devoted pool of researchers eager to reverse climate change and reduce waste and pollution through innovation. Its forward-thinking innovators and product managers have challenged packaging preconceptions with effective developments that address environmental challenges with commercially viable and sustainable solutions.

The lab’s technologies and solutions for smart packaging take into consideration the entire lifecycle of a product, focusing on tech that leverages responsibly sourced materials such as cellulose and paper, which are then skillfully crafted into active packaging and paper-based electronic devices using environmentally friendly, low-waste production techniques.

SmartPack by AlmaScience is revolutionizing packaging with smart and sustainable solutions.

Facts & Figures

Despite growing awareness of the environmental harm caused by plastic pollution – such as microplastics accumulating in the human body and waste harming ocean wildlife –demand for plastics continues to rise. OECD projections indicate that, under a business-as-usual scenario, global plastics use could nearly triple by 2060 compared to 2019 levels. These trends underscore the urgent need for effective policies and innovations to address the escalating plastic pollution crisis.

460 million
Global plastics production doubled from 2000 to 2019, reaching 460 million tonnes in 2019. 

3.4%
Plastic waste generation also more than doubled during this period, amounting to 353 million tonnes in 2019. Plastics account for 3.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions. 

17% in 2060
While the share of plastic waste that is successfully recycled is projected to rise from 9% in 2019 to 17% in 2060, incineration and landfilling will continue to account for around 20% and 50% of plastic waste, respectively.

Decrease to 15%
The share of plastic waste that evades waste management systems, ending up in uncontrolled dumpsites, burned in open pits, or leaking into the environment, is projected to decrease from 22% to 15% over the same period. 

Further reading

From AlmaScience:

• Hello 2025: 25 words to start the year with #green #electronics and #innovation at heart
• PetriTag: the sustainable, paper-based, portable bacterial detector for the fish transport system
• Hello Sunshine! Fancy a cool drink?

From the EU:

• Packaging waste: EU rules on packaging and packaging waste, including design and waste management
• The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR)

This work is supported by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) and by the Next Generation EU European Funds through the Green Agenda for Business Innovation “FF2F - From Fossil to Forest” (Project nº 8), a consortium led by The Navigator Company.