The new European packaging regulation demands more information and control. Getting organized from the start can help cut costs, simplify your supplier base, get ahead of coming changes, and strengthen your brand.
Think of the cardboard box that comes off a production line every day. Of the box a jewelry brand presents a ring in. Of the meat tray on a supermarket shelf. Three packages, three companies, three different roles. And one same regulation.
The PPWR changes how Europe wants to manage all these materials. And the logic goes far beyond packaging: reducing dependence on virgin raw materials, keeping materials in circulation for longer, and building a European market for secondary raw materials. To achieve this, Europe needs to know what we’re putting on the market, cut what we don’t need, design so materials can be recovered, reuse them when it makes sense, and reintroduce recycled material into new products.
Packaging stops being a consumable and becomes part of a materials system.
And for this system to work, it requires something many companies still don’t have structured: data. What materials does each package contain? How much does each component weigh? Who manufactures it? What recycled content does it include? How do we know it’s recyclable? How many times can it circulate if it’s reusable?
The PPWR turns these questions into requirements that will progressively have to be demonstrable. First you build the data for each package. Then you prove it. With that, you measure and decide what to reduce, reuse, redesign or keep. And only then do you communicate it.
FIRST, THE TIMELINE
The new European Packaging Regulation (PPWR) has already started to apply, but most of its requirements will be phased in over the coming years. The first obligations kicked in on August 12, 2026, while other requirements will come into force in stages, with different deadlines depending on the type of packaging, the activity and each company’s role.
Some obligations already need to be met, and for others we still have time. The key isn’t to try to solve everything now, but to prepare in an orderly way. Having clear, structured information on packaging, materials, suppliers and responsibilities will let you take on each new requirement when it applies, without having to start from zero. The PPWR is a gradual adaptation process. And if the data is well organized from the start, each step will be easier to manage, prove and document.
If you want to know what applies to your company and when, we’ve prepared practical guides specific to each sector. See them
LET’S START BY KNOWING WHAT WE HAVE
There’s no need to start from zero. You already know your products, volumes, suppliers and costs. What’s often missing is connecting that with a layer of packaging and impact data: components, materials, weights, suppliers, certificates, test reports, recycled content, substances, performance and versions.
We do it in four steps:
- A real inventory.
There are always more references than you think: primary, secondary, grouping and transport packaging, films, corner protectors, dividers… - A single data structure for all suppliers.
This way you stop chasing PDFs and start comparing information. - Sorting by packaging family and risk.
There’s no need to study 300 references from scratch if they share materials, architecture and supplier. - A living system.
If a material, component or supplier changes, you need to know which evidence and declarations are affected.
If you don’t have it all in place yet, don’t worry. What matters is starting, and doing it in an organized way.
IT’S ALSO A QUESTION OF COST
From experience, we know that when all packaging is brought together in a single inventory, issues that had gone unnoticed always come up, and managed well, they can help cut costs.
Three nearly identical boxes from three different suppliers. A component no one remembers the reason for. A filler that takes up more space than what it protects. A virgin film that could have an alternative. A pallet we buy hundreds of times when it could perhaps be returnable.
This is where compliance can turn into management.
And this leads us to the opportunity to cut costs. How?
1. Reducing material
The PPWR establishes that, from 2030, the weight and volume of packaging will have to be reduced to the minimum necessary to maintain its functionality. For grouped, transport and e-commerce packaging, empty space will also be capped at 50%. Reductions in material purchases, waste generated, logistics, extended producer responsibility (EPR) fees and, where applicable, the tax on non-reusable plastic packaging let us lower the costs associated with packaging. We won’t just be complying: we’ll also be making an impact on the business. And this leads us to being able to say: this box weighs
2. Improving recyclability
Packaging that’s easier to recycle can also be cheaper: simplifying materials and components can lower manufacturing costs and, thanks to EPR eco-modulation, mean paying less to put it on the market.
The PPWR reinforces this link between design and cost. From 2030, packaging will have to meet harmonized European Design for Recycling criteria, with recyclability grades A, B or C. Later on, whether this packaging is actually recycled at scale will also be taken into account. But before redesigning, we need to know what we’re buying. How many layers does the package have? Do we need all the adhesives, inks, labels or treatments it includes? Are there simpler alternatives? Knowing this lets us spot unnecessary complexity, compare solutions and make decisions that improve recyclability without losing sight of costs.
3. Incorporating recycled material
The best time to secure a good recycled-material supplier is before everyone needs one. The PPWR sets minimum percentages of post-consumer recycled plastic from 2030 for affected packaging, which may increase competition for materials that meet quality and traceability requirements. Identifying suppliers, validating materials and setting up supply agreements now can help guarantee availability, negotiate better terms and avoid last-minute extra costs. But it won’t be enough for a supplier to simply say the material “contains recycled content.” You will need to demonstrate what percentage it contains, where the material comes from and how that information is verified. Technical documentation and traceability become as important as the purchase price.
4. Moving from single use to a reusable system
What we used to buy and throw away after every use can become a resource that circulates. If we achieve enough rotations and efficient return logistics, the cost per use can be lower than that of single-use packaging. A transport box that goes to the client and comes back. A pallet that circulates instead of buying a new one each time. Reuse can cut recurring packaging purchases, but to make it profitable you have to design the whole system: package → use → return → inspection → cleaning or reconditioning → new use.
And then measure it: how many real rotations it completes, what percentage comes back, how many units are lost and what reverse logistics costs. Only then can we know when it pays off compared to the single-use alternative. The key figure is no longer the purchase price, but the real cost of each use. We don’t compare the price of a reusable box with that of a single-use one. We compare the cost per use of two systems over a given period.
WE CAN NO LONGER CLAIM OUR PACKAGING IS SUSTAINABLE WITHOUT PROVING IT
Complying with the regulation is no longer a sustainability argument. Article 14 of the PPWR establishes that environmental claims about packaging characteristics regulated by the regulation itself must go beyond the minimum requirements, specify which part of the package they refer to, and be backed by technical evidence. This requirement adds to European Directive 2024/825, which restricts generic environmental claims without adequate justification. Saying a package is “green,” “eco” or “biodegradable” without explaining exactly what it means is no longer a good strategy. There’s no need to start from zero to explain what we do better. We need to make the most of the data we already have.
An environmental claim must be proven with traceable data.
Four guides to know exactly what you need to comply with
Not every company has the same obligations. Manufacturing the box isn’t the same as putting the ring inside it or selling the tray on the shelf. That’s why we’ve prepared four practical PPWR guides, with the obligations, deadlines, documentation and implementation steps specific to each case. First, identify what role you play and what applies to you. Then build only the system you actually need.
Specific practical guides for each sector
Manufacturers
of packaging
Product and brand producers
Supermarkets and large surfaces
Channel
HORECA
Make it a system, not a formality
The big risk is responding to the PPWR by multiplying folders: one for sustainability, another for procurement, another for quality and another for marketing. At Spora we approach it the other way around: a single knowledge base for packaging, connecting product, package, component, material, supplier, evidence, compliance, cost and impact. From there, the same information can be used to approve a supplier, prepare an EU Declaration of Conformity where applicable, calculate EPR fees, study a redesign, compare a reusable alternative, or build a demonstrable commercial argument.
The PPWR forces you to get organized.
We help you turn that order into decisions.