PPWR (EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation 2025/40)

The PPWR (Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation) is Regulation (EU) 2025/40 on packaging and packaging waste, published in the Official Journal of the European Union in January 2025. It replaces and repeals the previous Directive 94/62/EC and, in general terms, has applied since 12 August 2026, although its most demanding obligations have later deadlines, mostly from 1 January 2030.

As a regulation rather than a directive, it applies directly and uniformly across all 27 Member States, with no need for national transposition. This reduces the interpretation gaps that existed under the previous directive and reinforces the single market.

Objectives of the PPWR

The regulation aims to prevent packaging waste and move this stream towards a circular economy. Its main pillars are:

• Packaging waste reduction: cutting packaging waste per capita by 5% in 2030, 10% in 2035 and 15% in 2040 against 2018 levels, together with measures against over-packaging and empty space in packaging.
• Recyclability of all packaging: from 1 January 2030 all packaging placed on the EU market must be designed for recycling under harmonised technical criteria; from 2035 it must be recyclable at scale, and from 2038 only the highest recyclability grades will be accepted.
• Minimum recycled content: plastic packaging must incorporate minimum shares of recycled material from 1 January 2030, with higher levels from 2040. The specific percentages vary by packaging type and are set out in implementing acts.
• Reuse and refill targets: quotas for reusable packaging in certain sectors and formats, such as transport packaging, applying from 1 January 2030.
• Restrictions on certain single-use packaging: from 1 January 2030, specific formats listed in Annex V and considered unnecessary are banned.

Obligations already in force since the general date of application include the ban on packaging features that mislead consumers about the contents or the environmental credentials of the packaging.

Link with ecodesign

The PPWR connects directly with ecodesign applied to packaging: recyclability and material reduction must be addressed from the design stage. In this respect it complements the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), which sets sustainability requirements for a wide range of products.

Fit with Spanish rules

In Spain, packaging rules were built around Royal Decree 1055/2022 on packaging and packaging waste. With the PPWR now applicable, the harmonised EU obligations take precedence, and national rules must align with the new framework. Companies placing packaging on the market should review how the regulation affects their responsibilities and declarations.

Link with extended producer responsibility

The PPWR strengthens extended producer responsibility for packaging: those placing it on the market finance and organise its collection and treatment, usually through collective schemes, and must evidence compliance with targets. Good management of packaging data and composition is increasingly necessary to meet these requirements.

Get ready for the PPWR with Manglai

Adapting to the PPWR requires knowing your packaging, its recyclability and recycled content, and connecting it to your environmental strategy. Manglai helps you structure your waste and packaging data and integrate it into your corporate sustainability.