The EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, the PPWR, has entered into force, introducing restrictions on PFAS content in food-contact packaging. Companies operating in the EU market will be required to comply with measures including recyclable packaging design by 2030 and standardised labelling by 2028.
The EU has brought the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, or PPWR, into force, introducing harmonised rules to curb excessive packaging. The regulation will apply from 12 August 2026 and explicitly requires PFAS-containing food-contact packaging to keep PFAS levels below specified thresholds.
The regulation requires packaging to be designed for recyclability by 2030 and calls for large-scale separate collection and recycling systems to be established by 2035. It also sets minimum recycled-content rates for plastic packaging, with plans for these rates to be raised in stages.
PFAS content in food-contact packaging will be restricted to below specified safety thresholds, and packaging exceeding those limits will be prohibited. To address excessive packaging, companies will be required to reduce empty space and design packaging using the minimum necessary weight and volume.
The use of single-use plastic packaging for certain applications will be prohibited from 2030, and the introduction of standardised labelling is scheduled to be completed by 2028. Following legislation in place as of 2024, EU member states will also be required to ensure traceability in the internal market.