What Is PPWR? The EU Packaging & Packaging Waste Regulation
A plain-language guide to the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR, EU 2025/40): obligations, deadlines, heavy-metal and PFAS limits.
PPWR is the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation — Regulation (EU) 2025/40. It entered into force on 11 February 2025 and applies generally from 12 August 2026, replacing the old Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive 94/62/EC.
In plain terms, PPWR changes how every piece of packaging on the EU market is designed, labelled and documented. From material composition and recycled content to recyclability and sorting guidance, producers are now expected to prove — not merely claim — that each pack complies.
This guide explains what PPWR is, its key obligations and deadlines, what it says about heavy metals and PFAS, and how the data PPWR demands connects to the digital product passport.
What is PPWR?
PPWR (the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation) is the EU's new, single legal framework for all packaging and packaging waste. It covers every material — plastic, paper and board, metal, glass, wood — and every use, from consumer packaging to grouped, transport and e-commerce packaging.
Its aim is twofold: cut packaging waste per person, and make all packaging recyclable and safer by 2030, while building the market for recycled materials.
A regulation, not a directive — why it matters
The previous rules (Directive 94/62/EC) were transposed differently in each Member State, creating 27 versions of the same law. PPWR is a Regulation: it applies directly and uniformly across the EU, with no national transposition. For anyone selling into multiple countries, that means one rule instead of a patchwork of requirements.
The key obligations
| Obligation | What it means |
|---|---|
| Recyclability | All packaging must be designed for recycling and recyclable in an economically viable way by 1 January 2030, graded by performance; stricter "recyclable at scale" criteria from 2038. |
| Recycled content | Minimum recycled-plastic percentages per category from 2030, with higher targets from 2040. |
| Heavy metals & PFAS | Sum of lead, cadmium, mercury and hexavalent chromium ≤ 100 mg/kg; PFAS restricted in food-contact packaging from 12 Aug 2026. |
| Packaging minimisation | Reduce weight and volume; empty-space ratio ≤ 50% for grouped, transport and e-commerce packaging (from 2030). |
| Reuse & refill | Binding reuse targets for certain formats (e.g. transport packaging, beverages) by 2030 and 2040. |
| Harmonised labelling | Common labels for material composition and sorting so consumers pick the right bin; may be carried on a QR code. |
| Deposit-return systems (DRS) | Mandatory schemes for single-use plastic bottles and metal cans, with ≥ 90% separate collection by 2029. |
| Single-use plastic bans | Certain single-use packaging formats (Annex V) banned from 1 January 2030. |
The exact values and per-category exemptions are set in the Regulation and its accompanying implementing / delegated acts.
Timeline of key deadlines
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 11 Feb 2025 | Regulation (EU) 2025/40 enters into force |
| 12 Aug 2026 | General application; PFAS limits in food-contact packaging |
| 2028 (approx.) | Harmonised sorting labelling via implementing act |
| 2029 | Deposit-return systems for PET bottles and metal cans (≥ 90% collection) |
| 1 Jan 2030 | Recyclability; minimum recycled content; empty-space ≤ 50%; single-use plastic bans; reuse targets |
| 2038 | Stricter recyclability ("at scale") criteria |
| 2040 | Higher recycled-content and reuse targets |
Heavy metals & PFAS
Two groups of substances stand out in PPWR's obligations:
- Heavy metals: the sum of concentrations of lead, cadmium, mercury and hexavalent chromium in any packaging and its components must not exceed 100 mg/kg (100 ppm) — a limit carried over from the old Directive and kept in force.
- PFAS: per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in food-contact packaging above strict limits are not allowed from 12 August 2026. Packaging placed on the market before that date may remain on sale.
For producers this means the composition of every material must be documented and verifiable — exactly the kind of data a digital passport structures per packaging SKU.
Labelling, QR & the link to the DPP
PPWR does not itself create an ESPR-style digital product passport. But it demands structured, verifiable data — composition, recycled content, recyclability grade, reusability, sorting guidance — and harmonised labelling that can be carried on a QR code. On top of that, packaging is a planned ESPR product group, so a formal packaging DPP is expected to follow.
PPWR data and the data of a digital product passport overlap almost completely. Structuring it now covers PPWR labelling today and gets you ready for a packaging DPP tomorrow — with no duplicate work. See how our platform does it for packaging: a structured template per SKU, with one QR code that gives consumers sorting instructions in their own language and inspectors the data they ask for.
What to do now
- Map every packaging SKU you place on the EU market, per material and per market.
- Document material composition, recycled content and recyclability grade.
- Check heavy-metal limits (≤ 100 ppm) and PFAS in food-contact materials.
- Prepare for the harmonised sorting label — with a QR code where it adds value.
- Keep the data current and verifiable across the packaging's life cycle.
Most of the work is collecting and structuring the data. A DPP platform such as DPP Central makes that repeatable: per-category templates, supplier data, and one QR code per pack. See the features and pricing, or start with a free account. For the official overview, see the European Commission's PPWR page.
This article is informational and is not legal advice. For binding obligations, refer to the official EU sources or a qualified legal adviser.