How will PPWR affect the future of packaging?

 

by Anastasia Kelesiadou, Public Affairs and Sustainability Officer

 

The EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) is set to bring transformative changes to the packaging industry. Aimed at reducing environmental impact, the PPWR focuses on increasing sustainability, promoting reuse and recycling, and setting limits on packaging waste.

Stricter targets for recyclability

Recyclability standards will become more stringent. By 2030, all packaging in the EU will be required to be recyclable, with additional requirements to meet certain recycling rates.

Material choices will also be restricted, likely leading to reduced use of non-recyclable materials or multi-material formats that are difficult to process. This could drive demand for alternative materials like bio-based and recycled paper or cardboard.

The good news is that all steel packaging formats already meet the strictest recyclability criteria.

Reduction in over-packaging

The Regulation targets over-packaging by setting requirements on the size, weight, and volume of packaging relative to the product it contains. This measure is intended to cut down on unnecessary waste and reduce the amount of packaging material entering the waste stream.

For companies, this will likely mean redesigning packaging to minimise excess material, which could result in streamlined and compact packaging formats. This approach not only reduces waste but can also lower transportation emissions.

Incentivising eco-design and innovation

The PPWR encourages eco-design principles that prioritise the lifecycle of packaging from production to disposal. This shift is expected to boost innovation, leading to the development of modular designs, collapsible packaging, and packaging that can serve multiple purposes. In this context, there is a prioritisation in the efficient material recycling processes that allow materials to be continuously recycled into new products, without loss in quality, a difference between multiple and limited recycling in the ‘Waste hierarchy’ and the promotion of highly recyclable packaging in the umbrella Design for Recycling standard for all materials.

Innovations might also include "smart" packaging with tracking features that help manage reuse cycles, or new materials that are easier to recycle, such as mono-material packaging instead of multi-layered, non-recyclable types.

Overall, the PPWR will likely be a driving force for change in the packaging industry, pushing companies to adopt more sustainable practices, reduce waste, and innovate. In the short term, compliance may come with challenges, such as higher costs and supply chain adjustments. In the long term, however, these changes could result in a more circular and sustainable economy.