Preparing for the PPWR: complex but necessary

Paper recycling bins overflowing with online order packaging, plastic bags blowing through parks, and a plastic soup that keeps growing year after year. Waste — and packaging in particular — is a visible problem. And that’s just the part that consumers actually get their hands on, which is only the tip of the iceberg.

Enter: the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). This is a new set of European regulations that takes an old problem and gives it a fresh, enforceable approach, with significant implications for circularity, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) obligations, governance, and ultimately, organizations’ ESG and CSRD reporting.

In this article, I’ll walk you through the packaging issue, that new jacket, and most importantly: why you shouldn’t view this as an administrative burden, but rather as a necessary step toward a more efficient, cleaner, and future-proof system.

Table of contents

The problem: a mountain of packaging that we can no longer ignore

In Europe, approximately 40% of all plastics are used for packaging, and more than half of the marine litter is packaging-related. This is not a minor issue, but a structural challenge for sustainability and circularity.

And yet, packaging is often overlooked in business strategies. In CSRD materiality analyses, it is frequently deemed “out of scope.” This is perhaps understandable, since for most companies, packaging is a byproduct — something small, something inexpensive, and not at the core of their value proposition.

But add up all those “byproducts,” and you end up with an enormous environmental impact.

That is precisely why the PPWR, together with related EPR/UPV obligations, compels companies to seriously incorporate packaging into their circular strategy, circular procurement, and broader sustainability agenda. The problem is significant, but the opportunity to bring about real change is just as great.

The solution: from legal obligation to value creation

So why the PPWR? And isn’t this just yet another layer of complexity on top of everything companies already have to do? Especially now that the Omnibus amendment to the CSRD seems to be providing some relief from the reporting burden, a new wave of regulations might feel like “just more on top of everything else.”

And let’s be honest: the PPWR is complex. It’s a regulation full of terminology that’s new to many organizations, with various roles that companies can fulfill — often even several at once. That makes it confusing. But that’s mainly because the PPWR applies to all sectors. From retail and e-commerce to mechanical engineering and pharmaceuticals: everyone uses packaging. So the law must be broadly applicable, and that makes it, by definition, extensive.

But as soon as you calmly and carefully analyze the PPWR, the fog begins to lift. The jumble of roles and requirements gives way to a higher goal: reducing packaging, making it more sustainable, and increasing its transparency . It aligns seamlessly with broader ESG and governance obligations, as well as with the need to make circularity a reality in day-to-day operations.

What is expected:

At its core, the PPWR boils down to a few clear principles:

The PPWR sets new expectations, but for forward-thinking companies, this doesn’t have to be a crisis. It starts with getting the basics right: understanding current packaging, making conscious choices for circular materials, and actively reducing unnecessary packaging.

This way, the PPWR has minimal impact on you, you strengthen your sustainability and CSRD narrative, and you contribute to a fairer, circular system.

Want to learn more? Our expert Ruben will tell you all about it.