What the new packaging regulation means for your brand
Everything you need to know about the PPWR of August 2026.
From 12 August 2026, every business placing packaged products on the EU market under its own name or trademark will be responsible for the entire life cycle of its packaging as part of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).
This is laid down in the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR).
The goal? To make all packaging placed on the EU market recyclable by 2030. To achieve this, specific sustainability requirements to packaging will be phased in over the coming years.
Businesses will need to register and report in each country where they place packaged products on the market, and may also have to pay fees. In some cases, they also need to appoint authorised representatives.
The challenge? The practical implementation is not yet fully harmonised across Europe. Registration procedures, reporting requirements and fees therefore differ between countries.
Small businesses worry about the administrative burden and cumulative costs for compliance across multiple countries.
For this reason, some of them are choosing to limit shipping to specific countries.
Or they choose to pause EU sales altogether, until the situation is more clear.
The European Commission has proposed suspending the obligation to appoint an authorised representative until 2035.
Brands can also still give feedback on the EPR scheme for packaging through a public consultation.
This autumn, the EU will review the EPR frameworks. We’ll have to wait and see whether this will lead to any changes.
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From 12 August 2026, businesses placing packaged products on the EU market are responsible for the full life cycle of their packaging (EPR).
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All packaging placed on the EU market must be recyclable by 2030, with sustainability requirements phased in over the coming years.
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Registration, reporting and fees apply per country — and are not yet fully harmonised across Europe.
The PPWR is now in force — is your packaging compliance in order?
We map your packaging obligations across EU countries, help you register and report, and turn the regulation into a practical plan.