PPWR Changing EU standards

PPWR – Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, also known as Regulation (EU) 2025/40 will be coming into force from the 12^th August 2026. PPWR aims to prevent packaging waste and promote recyclability and sustainability within the EU through a unified set of regulations and targets. Some of these measures will be put in place now, and further requirements will be introduced over the next 5 years and beyond.

This will affect all packaging (whether filled or unfilled) in the EU and NI, including anything imported to the EU. For companies looking to place their packaged products on the EU market, work will be required to gather the necessary information from the supply chain in order to comply with the new regulations.

As the regulations are so expansive and come into force at different times, it can be difficult to understand how the regulations apply to any one particular UK business who plays a part in the supply chain.

It can be useful to understand the role your business plays according to PPWR as the technical definitions used might not align with first impressions. For example, although Westpack would be commonly understood as a manufacturer of corrugated cases, under PPWR, we would be defined as a ‘supplier’ and our customers who export to the EU may well be classed as the ‘manufacturer’.

Once your role is understood, be sure to understand your obligations, and when they come into effect. It may be useful to speak to a third-party PPWR compliance specialist. Westpack will be on hand to support all of our customers with any technical documentation they may require to be compliant. If you have any questions, be sure to get in touch at sales@westpack.co.uk.