PPWR : Packaging & Packaging Waste Regulation
The PPWR law was approved by the European Parliament on 24 April 2024. With a view to reducing our environmental impact, Europe has taken major decisions concerning the way we produce, consume and destroy our packaging waste.
A number of agreements are still provisional, and discussions are still under way on the various approaches to be adopted.
A key area of focus for the PPWR is single-use packaging, which will be totally banned by 2030 for bundled plastic packaging, for fruit and vegetables weighing less than 1.5kg (unprocessed), single-portion packaging for the HORECA sector, food and drink packaging only for the on-trade and miniature packaging for toiletries.
The PPWR is made up of 4 pillars, 4 areas of improvement: recyclability, recycled, reuse and exemptions.
RECYCLABILITY
As far as recyclability is concerned, the law stipulates that all packaging placed on the market must be 70% recyclable by 2030 and 80% recyclable by 2038. To achieve this, it is important to create single-material packaging that does not risk disrupting the recyclability channels.
France is also working on ways of recycling polypropylene, which is already recyclable in some European countries, by the end of 2035.
The recyclability of packaging must be assessed by the manufacturer for each type of packaging.
In France, to find out the recyclability rate of your packaging, go to https://tree.citeo.com/fr/
RECYCLED
The use of recycled material is an important part of the PPWR: by 2030, packaging placed on the market must contain 35% post-consumer recycled material, and by 2040: 65%.
The recycled material required is mechanical recycled, which is not suitable for contact with food (except PET). At present, the use of recycled material is under discussion if it could contaminate the contents of the sachet (food for children, infant food, etc.). It will be possible to use a biosourced material as a second option.
REUSE
Reuse is still a somewhat vague subject when it comes to packaging. Packaging is only considered reusable if it is used again for the same purpose for which it was designed, and if it undergoes a cleaning process before being reused.
The packaging concerned by re-use is transport packaging, sales packaging and grouped packaging.
To check whether the packaging is reusable, tracking tools such as QR codes should be available on the packaging.
EXEMPTIONS
The exemptions mainly concern re-use. There are currently no restrictions on flexible packaging or packaging suitable for food use.
The exemptions concerning re-use are for packaging for the transport of dangerous goods, packaging for the transport of bulky machinery, or custom-made equipment.
Cardboard packaging is also exempt from re-use.
Information on packaging
The information on packaging will be more precise and strict, with real monitoring of the composition, materials, origin and sorting method to be visible or at least accessible on packaging.
Those placing the packaging on the market will have to be aware of this and approve it before it is placed on the market.
Reducing packaging
Another important point is the reduction of plastic packaging, as the amount of packaging continues to increase. Targets have been set for the Member States for 2018:
| 2030 | 2035 | 2040 |
| – 5% | – 10% | – 15% |
Empty space rate
There has also been a change in the void space ratio, which will be a maximum of 50%. This ratio will only apply to transport packaging, e-commerce packaging and packaging for product groupings (batches).
Eternal pollutants
A ban will also be introduced on eternal pollutants (PFAS) above a certain threshold for packaging suitable for food use. The threshold has yet to be determined and communicated.
Don’t hesitate to contact us for more information about your packaging and the different possibilities for your future packaging.
