Everything you need to know about the PPWR

Read more about the 8 highlights of the PPWR 

The PPWR is a complex law that requires preparations from all parties in the chain. It is smart to delve into it and prepare timely in advance. Verpact lists the key aspects for you: 

• What is the PPWR (and when will this regulation become law)? 
• What's new and how does the PPWR affect me?
• How can I prepare for it? 
• How does Verpact help me?  

What is the PPWR (and when will this regulation become law)?  

The PPWR is European legislation for everyone in the EU (including the Netherlands) who produces packaging (or parts of packaging), puts it on the market for the first time or who otherwise trades in or uses packaging. The law is intended to make the packaging chain more sustainable.  

The European legislation entered into force on 12 February 2025. The obligations stipulated by the PPWR will come into effect on 12 August 2026 at the earliest. The new rules are not yet 100% fixed. At least thirty additional documents containing further detailed legal requirements will be produced by 2029, in the form of implementing or delegated acts.  

Objective   

The objectives of the PPWR are: 

1. Addressing the entire life cycle of packaging; from design to recycling   
2. Identical rules for all European countries, making trade within the EU smoother  
3. A climate-neutral packaging chain in 2050   

This European Parliament document includes the latest version of the PPWR.    

What's new and how does the PPWR affect me?   

The PPWR introduces several new concepts and obligations. Virtually every company that makes packaging, or parts thereof, makes packaging available, sells it or disposes of it, is faced with one or more of these obligations.  

The main changes are: 

• The number of different roles that companies can have increases. Each role comes with different obligations. The roles distinguished within the PPWR and that come with obligations are Supplier, Manufacturer, Importer, Distributor, End Distributor, Producer, Fulfilment Service Provider, Economic Operator, Authorised Representative and Authorised Representative by the EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging). We will explain said roles in this overview. We are currently working on a tool that indicates exactly what role you have and what obligations arise from it. 
• Several types of packaging are distinguished. The familiar division into primary, secondary and tertiary packaging will disappear. The packaging types within the PPWR will be Packaging, Transport Packaging, E-commerce Packaging, Service Packaging, Take-Away Packaging, Primary Production Packaging, Sales Packaging, and Bulk Packaging. We will explain the various packaging types in this overview. 
• The area in which a package is offered covers the entire European Union.
• A manufacturer (the party that produces the packaging) must draw up a Declaration of Conformity for each individual packaging.
• The set of sustainability criteria for packaging has been expanded and partly made measurable. For example, the degree of recyclability of packaging in 2030 will be expressed in a score. In addition, targets will apply for the use of a minimum share of post-consumer recyclate for plastic packaging components.
• Certain packaging is required to be reusable.
• Uniform disposable logos must be used.
• In the future, declaration of packaging put on the market will be made by the Producer who, depending on the type of packaging and how the packaging or packaged product is traded, is a Manufacturer, Importer or Distributor. This may cause a shift in who is responsible for making the declaration. 
• Reporting obligations become increasingly detailed.
• The threshold for making the declaration will disappear. All companies that are producers must register and declare. A simplified declaration applies to companies that introduce less than 10,000 kg of packaging in the Netherlands for the first time.  

How can I prepare for it? 

 The PPWR measures have not yet been fully developed. However, you can already prepare yourself: 

1. Stay up-to-date: we'll keep you updated on developments on this page!  
2. Make an inventory of which role or roles you have in the chain. You may fulfil multiple roles. Are you a manufacturer within the meaning of the PPWR? In that case, it is mandatory to have completed a conformity assessment for all your packaging and drawn up a Declaration of Conformity for it by 12 August 2026. The process of assessing and preparing the declaration can take quite a while, so it is important to start on time.
3. Make an inventory of the types of packaging you use and what these packages are called in PPWR terminology. 
4. Make an inventory of your obligations depending on your role or roles and the types of packaging you make, trade, sell or use. 
5. Preparing an inventory: Map out what information you already have about your packaging and what information your supplier can share with you.
6. As from 2030, 'poorly' recyclable packaging (less than 70%) will be prohibited. The details of this are not yet clear, but you can do our Recycle Check now. This gives you an idea of how well your packaging can be recycled. You can also start thinking about how you can make your packaging more sustainable. Verpact is happy to advise you on this.
7. Is your organisation in need of new packaging machines? Are you launching a new product, or are you considering other innovations? If so, take the upcoming legislative changes into account. For example, the PPWR stipulates an obligation to minimise all packaging in terms of weight and volume.

How does Verpact help me?   

Verpact is responsible for the implementation of the law (the collective part): i.e. collection, sorting and processing of packaging waste, including reporting on achieved collection, reuse and recycling percentages. We consider it our duty to communicate the changes in legal individual responsibilities of producers and importers in a timely and clear manner. We will therefore keep you informed of all developments and support you in implementing the new rules step by step.  We are currently working on a tool that indicates exactly what role you have and what obligations arise from it. 

• Q&As about packaging administration can be found here 
• Click here for answers to questions about rates 
• On this page you will find the answers to Rate Differentiation