The EU Packaging Regulation is coming — and with it new requirements for supplier data, documentation, and proof of compliance. This guide answers the questions that actually come up in practice.
The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR, Regulation EU 2025/40) replaces the Packaging Directive 94/62/EC and applies directly across all EU member states from August 2026 — with no room for national variation. The key shift: the burden of proof lies with the company, and that requires structured supplier data.
Anyone purchasing packaging or selling packaged products in the EU will need concrete information from their suppliers: material composition, recycled content shares, documentation or declarations of conformity. This guide explains what data is needed, who needs to provide it, and what a workable process looks like in practice.
The core obligations fall into three layers: first, material requirements — what the packaging contains, which substances are permitted, and what recycled content must be documented. Second, volume reporting — how much packaging by material type is placed on the market, relevant for EPR systems such as LUCID in Germany. Third, design requirements — recyclability grades, void space limits, reusability — with longer transition periods, but decisions needed now.
One point worth noting: the data required for the PPWR Declaration of Conformity is the same data needed for volume reporting under national EPR systems. Companies that collect supplier data cleanly once — material type, weight per packaging unit, recycled content share — can use it to meet multiple obligations without rebuilding the process each time.
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