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Preparing for Change
PPWR – EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation
Packaging has long been viewed primarily through the lenses of cost and efficiency in transportation. But times are changing. The EU is ushering in a new era with its Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), a framework aimed at reshaping how packaging is used, reused, and recycled. Adopted by the EU Parliament on April 24, the PPWR’s final text is the subject of this special piece.
Understanding the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation
The original PPWR proposal was created to reduce the environmental impact of packaging and establish clear, Union-wide standards. In a nutshell, the regulation’s measures are aimed at preventing packaging waste, boosting high-quality recycling, and harmonising the rules regarding labelling and recycled content across Member States.
Recently approved by Parliament, the PPWR will most likely enter into force by Q4 2024, and starts applying 18 months from that entry into force date, likely in mid 2026.
Once in effect, the new rules will apply to all forms of packaging regardless of the type of material used, and to all packaging waste regardless of its origin – be it from manufacturing, distribution, retail, offices, or households.
Prepare for change
The current framework governing packaging is the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (PPWD), and the decision to go from a Directive to a Regulation demonstrates the Union’s commitment to levelling the playing field and driving waste reduction throughout the block. Summary of the key measures introduced by the PPWR:
Although highly relevant to the EU’s sustainability goals, the new regulation might not be without its faults.
Among the other concerns, experts have pointed out that the PPWR’s reuse and refill targets seem to be almost exclusively focused at the “final distributor”, which in many cases will be the retailer. The 100% reuse obligation for transport packaging between own sites and within the same Member State could also lead to logistic and safety issues for the companies affected. Finally, there are worries about the availability and affordability of recycled content required to meet the minimum targets, especially when it comes to plastic.
Over the next few years, many details of individual provisions within the PPWR will be established through delegated and implementing acts by the EU Commission, including the Design for Recycling criteria and recycling performance grades. This will make planning quite challenging for EU companies, who will have to stay on the lookout for these new packaging requirements, and take fast action to adapt once they are known. However, even if many aspects of the legislation are still to be defined, there is a lot that business can already do to avoid non-compliance penalties. For all the details on current requirements, be sure to review the PPWR’s final text in full, and connect with packaging experts for more information.
Those who are not already doing it, should also now organise themselves to monitor the changes in the EU legislative landscape and recognise the trends in upcoming legislation. Devising a new sustainability strategy to guide the organisation’s overall efforts is essential to staying competitive in the long run, as more and more businesses will use sustainability as a differentiation point. In this fast-changing environment, rely on specialists to make these challenges not only a lot more manageable, but also to turn them into growth opportunities.
*source: EU Packaging & Packaging Waste Regulation: Final Text Review (ohanapublicaffairs.eu)
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