The PPWR and its impact on producers
The main purpose of PPWR is to create harmonised legislation in all EU Member States to meet the targets for reducing packaging waste, increasing circularity and promoting the EU internal market.
For you as a producer, the regulation means new and more extensive requirements for your packaging. Among other things, there will be higher requirements for recyclability, the proportion of recycled material in packaging and requirements for reuse.
Important changes
The PPWR entered into force on 11 February 2025 and will be applied for the first time from 12 August 2026. Not all requirements will come into effect at the same time. The legislation applies to all packaging, regardless of the type of material.
Some important changes in the PPWR:
- Packaging waste must be reduced by 5 percent by 2030, 10 percent by 2035 and 15 percent by 2040 – compared to 2018.
- All packaging must be recycled to 55 percent by 31 December 2035.
- Packaging must be considered recyclable only when it is designed for recycling, and can be collected, sorted and recycled on a larger scale.
- Requirement for recycled material in new packaging.
- Clear labelling of packaging to facilitate source separation.
- Certain packaging will be banned.
Milestones in the coming years
PPWR will be implemented gradually in the coming years, we listed some of the most important requirements and changes.
Introduced from August 12, 2028
- Requirements for packaging labeling
Introduced in 2030
- New classification of material recyclability – class A-C. Packaging with less than 70% recycling rate will be banned. As a producer, you already need to familiarize yourself with which packaging is at risk of being banned in 2030.
- Minimum standards for packaging dimensions and empty spaces in packaging
- Requirements for the percentage of recycled content in plastic packaging
- Targets for reuse
- Targets for refilling refillable packaging
Introduced in 2035
- Assessment of recyclability based on packaging large-scale recyclability
Introduced in 2038
- Ban on packaging with class C recyclability
Introduced in 2040
- Increased requirements for recycled content in packaging
- Increased recycling targets
Support for our producers
Support
We offer advice and support related to PPWR and are actively working to produce verified answers to questions related to upcoming requirements. We continue to offer support by services related to design for recycling and packaging minimization.
The requirements in PPWR apply to both producer responsibility organizations and producers and we are continuously working to offer you a relevant customer support going forward. At present, we do not have answers to all questions, but you are always welcome to contact us.
As a customer at NPA, you have access to our overview introduction to PPWR. If you have not already received it, you are welcome to contact your account manager or producer service at producer@npa.se
In the spring of 2024, we produced a short information film where we review the goals of PPWR and summarize what the main changes will be and when they will be introduced.
Swedish Environmental Protection Agency’s guidance
The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency is responsible for guiding producers and producer responsibility organizations in the new legislation and will produce guidance for PPWR. Before that is possible, however, the Swedish implementation must be decided. In the meantime, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency refers to its preparatory survey of PPWR.
The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency’s preparatory survey (in Swedish)