{"id":32976,"date":"2026-08-05T09:32:07","date_gmt":"2026-08-05T09:32:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.screeneurope.com\/?post_type=knowledge&#038;p=32976"},"modified":"2026-08-12T09:38:21","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T09:38:21","slug":"what-is-ppwr","status":"publish","type":"knowledge","link":"https:\/\/www.screeneurope.com\/fr\/knowledge\/what-is-ppwr\/","title":{"rendered":"What is PPWR?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), Regulation (EU) 2025\/40, is the legislation governing all packaging placed on the European Union,\u00a0covering chemical safety, conformity documentation, recyclability, and recycled content.<\/span><\/i><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">How is PPWR Changing Packaging\u00a0Compliance?<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/environment.ec.europa.eu\/topics\/waste-and-recycling\/packaging-waste_en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">PPWR<\/a> entered into force on 11 February 2025 and\u00a0generally applies\u00a0from 12 August 2026, when it replaces most of the\u00a0previous\u00a0Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive framework. Some obligations apply later as delegated acts, implementing acts and technical standards are adopted.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">How do\u00a0Converters\u00a0Know Which PPWR Guidelines Apply?<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">A consequential structural shift sits beneath the PPWR\u00a0timeline, as the regulation redefines roles across the supply chain, distinguishing between manufacturers, suppliers, importers, distributors, and fulfilment service providers, and assigning each its own obligations. For a converter, the first practical step is\u00a0establishing\u00a0which of those roles, or which combination of them, applies to a given product, because that determination governs what the business is accountable for.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">What\u00a0are the Current PPWR Requirements?<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Three requirements apply to anything placed on the EU market: demonstrable chemical safety, compliance with PFAS restrictions for food-contact packaging, and complete conformity documentation for every packaging item.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Chemical safety.<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Where a converter acts as the PPWR manufacturer, it must\u00a0demonstrate\u00a0compliance. Where it acts as a supplier, it must provide the manufacturer with the information and documentation needed to complete the conformity assessment.\u00a0In either case,\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">substances of concern in their packaging\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">need to be<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0minimised, and that the combined concentration of lead, cadmium, mercury, and hexavalent chromium does not exceed 100 mg\/kg. The threshold is carried over from the\u00a0previous\u00a0directive, so it is not new. What has changed is the requirement for documented proof rather than a supplier&rsquo;s verbal assurance, and the limit applies to every\u00a0component\u00a0of packaging across the supply chain, including inks, coatings, and adhesives.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">PFAS restrictions.<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0For food-contact packaging, including food supplements and nutraceuticals, converters must additionally show compliance with\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">concentration limits for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or \u00ab\u00a0Forever Chemical\u00a0\u00bb, which apply whether the PFAS are intentionally added or unintentionally present.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Conformity documentation.<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0This is where\u00a0the majority of\u00a0immediate effort sits, requiring a conformity assessment for each packaging item, with importers carrying a parallel duty to verify that their non-EU manufacturers have done the same. That assessment is supported by technical documentation under Annex VII,\u00a0retained\u00a0for five years for single-use packaging or ten for reusable formats, and by an EU Declaration of Conformity under Annex VIII kept for the same period. The process is self-assessment, so no notified body is involved, but the documentation must exist and withstand inspection.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">What Are the Upcoming\u00a0PPWR Requirements?<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The obligations carrying the most significant design consequences arrive in a defined sequence between 2028 and 2030, and each\u00a0requires\u00a0substrate or structural decisions rather than documentation alone.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\u2022\" data-font=\"Arial\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:0,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[65533,0],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\u2022&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">12 February 2028:<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0certain formats, including tea and coffee filter bags and fruit and vegetable stickers, must be compostable under Article 9.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ol>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\u2022\" data-font=\"Arial\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:0,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[65533,0],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\u2022&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">12 August 2028:<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0packaging must carry a harmonised label showing its material composition to guide correct sorting, either printed directly or accessible via a scannable QR code, based on the accompanying implementing acts.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ol>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\u2022\" data-font=\"Arial\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:0,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[65533,0],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\u2022&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">1 January 2030:<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">From 2030, or later if the required delegated criteria are delayed, packaging subject to the design-for-recycling requirements will\u00a0generally need\u00a0to achieve at least recyclability performance grade C, corresponding to 70% recyclability by weight.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2 aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Why Do Later Deadlines Require Decisions Now?<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Packaging redesign lead times mean that a requirement applying in\u00a0a few years\u00a0realistically\u00a0requires a\u00a0decision being made\u00a0today.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Sourcing, testing, and rolling out a new packaging construction\u00a0frequently\u00a0takes a year or more, and that timeline compounds where multiple formats across a portfolio are affected. A recyclability or recycled-content threshold binding at the start of 2030 therefore needs material\u00a0selection\u00a0and validation underway well before the deadline is in view. Converters\u00a0operating\u00a0without a mapped transition plan tend to find the window for acting decisively has closed by the time the obligation becomes visible, leaving reactive substitution as the only\u00a0option.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">How Does Printing Affect PPWR?<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Printing sits directly within PPWR scope, because inks\u00a0and supporting\u00a0coatings and adhesives are packaging components subject to the same substance restrictions and documentation requirements as the substrate itself.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">This has two practical consequences.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"%1.\" data-font=\"Arial\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:0,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[65533,0],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;%1.&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Heavy metal limits and the requirement to minimise substances of concern apply across every applied layer, meaning converters need documented compliance data from their ink suppliers rather than general assurances.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ol>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"%1.\" data-font=\"Arial\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:0,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[65533,0],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;%1.&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Ink chemistry influences whether a packaging format can meet recyclability thresholds. Ink migration behaviour and de-inking or\u00a0repulpability\u00a0performance both affect how a finished pack is assessed, and those characteristics\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">may influence<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0at the printing stage rather than during recycling.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259,&quot;335559991&quot;:360}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Substrate compatibility is equally consequential, since a printing process that cannot run\u00a0more\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">potentially more recycling-compatible\u00a0paper-based and mono-material\u00a0structures<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0\u00a0effectively\u00a0or use less\u00a0environmentally\u00a0impactful\u00a0water-based inks\u00a0will constrain which\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">flexible packaging<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0formats a converter can realistically offer.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">How Does Digital Printing Support PPWR?<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Water-based digital inkjet addresses several PPWR pressure points at once, covering substance compliance, substrate flexibility, and the overproduction reduction that supports wider sustainability reporting.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Water-based inks<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, like those used by the\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.screeneurope.com\/products\/packaging\/truepress-pac-520p\/\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">SCREEN Truepress PAC 520P<\/span><\/b><\/a><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">,<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0minimise volatile organic compounds\u00a0(VOCs), simplifying the substance-of-concern documentation burden compared with systems carrying a heavier chemical load. SCREEN&rsquo;s\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.screeneurope.com\/ink\/ink-for-truepress-pac-series\/\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Truepress PAC\u00a0Ink<\/span><\/b><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0sets are formulated for compliance with the\u00a0EuPIA\u00a0Exclusion Policy for Printing Inks, the Swiss Ordinance, and Nestl\u00e9 Guidance for packaging inks, giving converters\u00a0established\u00a0reference frameworks when assembling documentation for food-contact,\u00a0hygiene,\u00a0nutraceutical\u00a0applications.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Substrate capability matters\u00a0even more\u00a0as the 2030 recyclability threshold approaches. The Truepress PAC 520P is a water-based inkjet press\u00a0built for paper-based flexible\u00a0packaging and compatible with a wide variety of substrates, allowing converters to trial and scale paper-based\u00a0structures without a separate production platform.\u00a0And as\u00a0digital printing requires no plates or cylinders, testing a new substrate carries none of the tooling cost that makes analogue trialling expensive, lowering the barrier to the\u00a0required\u00a0validation work.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The overall converting workflow\u00a0is the third factor.\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Print-on-demand workflows<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0remove the need to hold large inventories of pre-printed material, which becomes commercially significant when the harmonised\u00a0labelling\u00a0obligation takes effect in August 2028\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">or 24 months after the relevant implementing act enters into force, whichever is later<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.\u00a0and stocks of non-compliant packaging become obsolete. The\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">digital agility<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0to produce current-specification packaging in the quantity\u00a0required, when it is\u00a0required, limits that exposure and contributes directly to\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">printing waste reduction<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0targets reported under wider sustainability commitments.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">What Does the PPWR\u00a0Mean\u00a0for Packaging Converters?<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The PPWR establishes a compliance baseline that is\u00a0set to\u00a0tighten, and it is unlikely to be the final regulatory intervention affecting packaging design.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Individual member states may adopt stricter national measures, other regions are introducing their own recyclability criteria on differing timelines, and the existing phase-in schedule\u00a0remains\u00a0subject to revision.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Converters who treat sustainability as an operational principle rather than a discrete compliance exercise, by adopting water-based printing, testing more recyclable substrates, and conducting life cycle assessments\u00a0generally find\u00a0that successive requirements arrive with limited\u00a0additional\u00a0overhead.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The practical work of the coming years is\u00a0identifying\u00a0solutions that hold cost-effective production and sustainability compliance together rather than trading one against the other, and developments in ink formulation, substrate structure, and on-demand production have made that balance\u00a0considerably more\u00a0achievable.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><span class=\"TextRun SCXW41218461 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW41218461 BCX8\">If you would like to learn more about compliance or how inkjet printing can support your business, you can reach out to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/juan-cano-businessdirector\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Juan Cano<\/a>, SCREEN Business Development Director for Flexible Packaging Printing who can walk you through where <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed SCXW41218461 BCX8\">your<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW41218461 BCX8\">\u00a0packaging<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW41218461 BCX8\">\u00a0or label converting<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW41218461 BCX8\">\u00a0portfolio<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW41218461 BCX8\">&lsquo;s printing solutions <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW41218461 BCX8\">sits against the<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW41218461 BCX8\">\u00a0PPWR<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW41218461 BCX8\"> requirements at<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun Highlight SCXW41218461 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW41218461 BCX8\"> <a href=\"mailto:marketing@screeneurope.com\">marketing@screeneurope.com<\/a>.<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), Regulation (EU) 2025\/40, is the legislation governing all packaging placed on the European Union,\u00a0covering chemical safety, conformity documentation, recyclability, and recycled content.\u00a0 How is PPWR Changing Packaging\u00a0Compliance?\u00a0 The PPWR entered into force on 11 February 2025 and\u00a0generally applies\u00a0from 12 August 2026, when it replaces most of the\u00a0previous\u00a0Packaging and&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":33270,"template":"","knowledge_category":[204],"class_list":["post-32976","knowledge","type-knowledge","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","knowledge_category-articles-guides","entry","has-media"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.screeneurope.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/knowledge\/32976","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.screeneurope.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/knowledge"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.screeneurope.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/knowledge"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.screeneurope.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.screeneurope.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/knowledge\/32976\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33150,"href":"https:\/\/www.screeneurope.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/knowledge\/32976\/revisions\/33150"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.screeneurope.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33270"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.screeneurope.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32976"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"knowledge_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.screeneurope.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/knowledge_category?post=32976"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}