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PPWR: Associated Packaging Obligations

The new EU Packaging Regulation (PPWR) introduces new obligations for anyone placing packaging on the market in the EU. Here you can find out what will be important from 12 August 2026, what you – as a so-called producer – need to bear in mind, and how we at Packiro can support you with the relevant technical information.

Packaging requirements from 12 August 2026

The PPWR (short for ‘Packaging & Packaging Waste Regulation’) is a binding EU packaging regulation that applies to all Member States. Over the next few years, various new requirements regarding packaging will come into force.

From 12 August 2026, the following obligations will apply to ‘producers’* of packaging:

  • Declaration of conformity with technical documentation

  • Obligation to label packaging

Obligation to issue a Declaration of Conformity

The PPWR requires producers* to hold an EU Declaration of Conformity for each type of packaging – as proof that the packaging complies with the new sustainability requirements.

For each type of packaging (e.g. product and transport packaging), a separate Declaration of Conformity is required for each packaging material.

PPWR Labelling Requirements for Packaging

From 12 August 2026, your packaging must also carry certain details. As a producer, you are responsible for ensuring that the following information appears on your packaging:

  • An identification mark, e.g. the batch or serial number of the packaging (which you’ll find on the shipping box of your Packiro order)

  • Your name or brand

  • Your postal address

  • A means of electronic contact

This information can be included directly in your print design or incorporated via a QR code.

Coming soon...

…our PPWR services for you as a producer!

We are currently working on a range of practical, digital solutions to provide you with the best possible support in meeting the new legal requirements under the PPWR. We’ll let you know as soon as they’re available!

FAQ: PPWR Obligations for Producers

What is the PPWR, and when does it come into force?

Die PPWR (Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation) ist die neue EU-Verpackungsverordnung. Sie ersetzt die bisherigen EU-Regeln zu Verpackungen und gilt ab dem 12. August 2026 unmittelbar in allen EU-Ländern – also auch in Deutschland, ohne dass es dafür ein separates deutsches Gesetz braucht. Ziel ist insgesamt weniger Verpackungsmüll, bessere Recyclingfähigkeit, strengere Regeln für Lebensmittelverpackungen und einheitliche Regeln in der ganzen EU.

Yes — if you sell into the EU or Northern Ireland. The PPWR is an EU regulation, so it doesn't apply to sales purely within Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales). But it does apply the moment your packaging reaches an EU customer or the Northern Ireland market.

From that date, non-compliant packaging can be refused entry, withdrawn, or recalled from the EU or NI market — regardless of where it was manufactured. What's legal under UK packaging rules may not automatically satisfy the PPWR, so it's worth checking your packaging against both frameworks separately.

If your brand is on the packaging and you place it on the EU or NI market, you're the manufacturer/producer under the PPWR. In that case, you are obligated to have a Declaration of Conformity per packaging type, product labelling with identification and contact details, and meet the compliance with substance limits.

You'll also specifically need to register as a producer under the PPWR if you use DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) shipping terms, making you the importer of record in the EU, or if you sell directly to EU end customers rather than through an EU-based business.

From 12 August 2026, food contact packaging may no longer be placed on the market if it contains or comes into contact with PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). Packaging not intended for use with food is not, for the time being, affected by the PFAS limit values.

PFAS are classified as ‘forever chemicals’ and hardly degrade naturally at all. They are therefore considered harmful to the environment, as well as to human health.

The following limit values apply:

  • 25 ppb for a single PFAS compound

  • 250 ppb for the sum of all detected PFAS compounds

  • 50 ppm for the total fluorine content of the packaging

If the total fluorine content exceeds 50 ppm, further evidence must be provided as to the origin of the fluorine – in other words, whether it is actually PFAS or a harmless source of fluorine.