Key takeaways
- The PPWR (EU Regulation 2025/40) has been in effect since August 12, 2026, in all 27 Member States, without the need for national transposition, and replaces Directive 94/62/EC.
- It applies to all packaging, including industrial, commercial, and shipping packaging: manufacturers of technical products are fully affected.
- By 2030: mandatory recyclability (grades A through E), 35% recycled content in industrial plastic packaging, void space limited to 50%, and 40% reusable shipping packaging.
- The targets then become more stringent: only A/B grades will be permitted in 2038, with 65% recycled content and 70% reuse by 2040.
- A contract packager like Etraves helps you plan ahead: selecting compliant packaging, conducting compatibility tests, optimizing formats, and ensuring documentation traceability.
Since August 12, 2026, the PPWR (Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation) has been in effect throughout the European Union. This regulation on packaging and packaging waste fundamentally transforms the obligations of companies that place packaged products on the market: mandatory recyclability, minimum recycled content, reuse of transport packaging, and reduction of empty space. For manufacturers of adhesives, sealants, paints, and technical products, these requirements directly affect the cartridges, tubes, bottles, cans, and buckets used to package their products. Should they rethink their packaging formats? Switch to different containers? Document compliance for each product SKU? In this article, we take a closer look at the PPWR regulation, its timeline, and its concrete implications for industrial packaging —and how a contract packager can help you prepare for these deadlines.
What is the PPWR (EU Regulation 2025/40)?
The PPWR, or Regulation (EU) 2025/40 on packaging and packaging waste, was adopted on December 19, 2024, published in the Official Journal of the European Union on January 22, 2025, and entered into force on February 11, 2025. Its main provisions have been in effect since August 12, 2026. It replaces Directive 94/62/EC, which had governed packaging for more than thirty years.
The change in legal status is crucial: the PPWR is a regulation, not a directive. It therefore applies directly and uniformly across all 27 Member States, without the need for national transposition. Gone are the differences in interpretation from one country to another: a manufacturer that sells its products in France, Germany, and Spain is subject to the same packaging rules everywhere. The text has two objectives: to reduce packaging waste (−5% by 2030, −10% by 2035, and −15% by 2040 compared to 2018) and to ensure that all packaging placed on the European market is recyclable, reusable, and contains recycled material.
Important note: The PPWR applies to all packaging, regardless of material or industry. Industrial, commercial, and transportation packaging are covered just as much as household packaging. B2B companies that package technical products are therefore fully subject to this regulation.
The PPWR Timeline: Key Milestones
The regulation implements its requirements in successive phases, from 2026 to 2040. Here are the deadlines that guide companies' compliance efforts.
| Due Date | Obligation |
|---|---|
| August 12, 2026 | General Application of the Regulation: declarations of conformity by reference to packaging, registration in the national producer registry, designation of an authorized representative for extended producer responsibility (EPR), and PFAS restrictions for food-contact packaging. |
| 2028 | Harmonized labeling of packaging to facilitate sorting throughout the EU. |
| January 1, 2029 | Mandatory deposit systems for plastic bottles and cans. |
| January 1, 2030 | Mandatory recyclability (grades A through E), minimum recycled content requirements for plastic packaging, empty space limited to 50% for shipping and consolidation packaging, a ban on certain formats, and 40% reusable shipping packaging. |
| 2038 | Only Grade A and Grade B packaging remains permitted. |
| 2040 | Stronger targets: up to 65% recycled content and 70% reuse of shipping packaging. |
What's Changing in Industrial Product Packaging
Behind this regulatory timeline, three key areas directly affect industrial packaging: the recyclability of containers, the use of recycled materials, and the optimization of product sizes and shipping packaging.
Mandatory recyclability: Grades A through E
Starting in 2030, all packaging placed on the market must be recyclable and classified according to a performance scale: Grade A (more than 95% recyclable), B (more than 80%), C (more than 70%); Grades D and E will be prohibited. By 2038, only grades A and B will remain authorized. For technical products, this steers choices toward single-material containers that are easier to recycle: single-resin plastic cartridges, metal containers, and tubes designed for recycling. Complex multilayer packaging, which is difficult to process at the end of its life, will need to be redesigned. The choice of container thus becomes a strategic decision, requiring a balance between product protection (barrier against air and moisture, chemical compatibility) and recyclability.
Minimum Recycled Content in Plastic Packaging
Starting in 2030, plastic packaging must contain a minimum percentage of recycled material: 35% for non-food-contact industrial packaging, with a target of 65% by 2040. Manufacturers of adhesives, sealants, and chemicals will therefore need to ensure that their plastic cartridges, bottles, and containers incorporate recycled material without compromising compatibility with the packaged product. This is a genuine technical challenge: recycled material can alter a container’s mechanical or barrier properties. Compatibility testing and rigorous packaging qualification are essential before any changes are made.
Empty space, reduction, and reuse of shipping packaging
The PPWR also requires that packaging be reduced to the bare minimum. Starting in 2030, the empty space ratio for consolidation, transport, and mail-order packaging will be capped at 50 percent: no more oversized boxes filled with packing material. Transport packaging used between industrial sites must also be reusable at a rate of 40% by 2030, rising to 70% by 2040: drums, containers, pallets, and returnable crates will be part of true reuse systems. For manufacturers, this means rethinking both upstream logistics (bulk delivery) and downstream logistics (shipping of packaged products), while optimizing carton packing and palletization.
How a Custom Conditioner Helps You Prepare for PPWR
Given these requirements, outsourcing your packaging to a specialist becomes a key factor in ensuring compliance. A contract packager continuously monitors changes in regulatory requirements and adapts its production lines, packaging formats, and supply chains accordingly. They advise you on selecting recyclable containers—including those made from recycled materials—test the compatibility between your product and the new packaging, and optimize packaging formats to reduce weight and empty space.
The packager also helps ensure your regulatory compliance: batch traceability, labeling in accordance with current regulations, and technical data on the packaging used to support your declarations of conformity. Finally, by pooling volumes across clients, the packager can more easily access new compliant containers—even for small and medium-sized production runs—where an individual manufacturer would struggle to secure reasonable minimum order quantities.
Etraves: Compliant and Eco-Friendly Packaging
Based in France, Etraves is a contract packaging company specializing in technical products: adhesives, sealants, silicones, greases, paints, and two-component formulations. We have long been committed to an approach of eco-friendly, custom packaging, we support our clients in evolving their packaging: selecting recyclable containers, optimizing sizes and weights, reducing outer packaging, and ensuring full batch traceability.
Our filling lines handle all industrial formats: cartridges, tubes, vials, cans, buckets, and two-component systems. Whether you’re preparing for the 2030 PPWR deadlines or simply want to improve the reliability of your packaging, our team will review your project and offer compliant, sustainable solutions. Contact us for a personalized quote.
FAQ – PPWR Rules
What does PPWR stand for?
PPWR stands for the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation. It is Regulation (EU) 2025/40, adopted on December 19, 2024, and published in the Official Journal of the European Union on January 22, 2025. This regulation replaces Directive 94/62/EC and harmonizes the rules governing packaging throughout the European Union, with quantified targets for waste reduction, recyclability, and reuse spanning from 2026 to 2040.
When does the PPWR apply?
The regulation took effect on February 11, 2025, and its main provisions have been in effect since August 12, 2026: declarations of compliance, registration in the producers’ registry, and the first restrictions on PFAS. The major quantitative requirements take effect on January 1, 2030: mandatory recyclability, minimum recycled content rates, limits on empty space, and reuse targets for transport packaging. Additional deadlines follow in 2038 and 2040 with stricter thresholds.
What types of packaging are covered by the PPWR?
This applies to all packaging placed on the European market, regardless of the material used: household packaging, as well as industrial, commercial, groupage, and transport packaging. For a manufacturer of technical products, this includes not only the cartridge or container holding the product but also the groupage carton, the pallet wrap, and the pallet. Each level of packaging must meet the requirements for recyclability, reduction, and—in the case of transport packaging—reuse.
How can you ensure compliance with the PPWR?
The first step is to take inventory of all packaging, by product code, and assess its recyclability and recycled content. Next, prioritize the following initiatives: replacing non-recyclable packaging, sourcing containers made with recycled material, optimizing package sizes and empty space, and compiling compliance documentation. Working with a specialized contract packager can help accelerate this transition: they know which compliant containers are available on the market, conduct compatibility tests, and adapt filling lines to the new formats.
