Packaging: EU regulation comes into force – what changes for consumers and businesses
Many provisions of the Ppwr are coming into force: from coffee pods in separate waste collection to the certification of PFAS limits for manufacturers
On 12 August, the European Regulation on Packaging and Packaging Waste (PPWR) comes into force: many of its provisions will become applicable, and a common regulatory framework will be introduced for all Member States.
“It is, however, essential to make it clear that not all the provisions will come into force at the same time: many requirements relating to reuse, the recycled content and the recyclability of packaging will be phased in gradually over the coming years,” explains Simona Fontana, Director-General of Conai, the national packaging consortium.
Documentation requirements
“The first operational changes mainly concern documentation requirements. Manufacturers will have to draw up a Declaration of Conformity for packaging placed on the European market, certifying compliance with the requirements already in force, including limits on heavy metals for all packaging, limits on PFASs for packaging intended to come into contact with food and, in the case of reusable packaging, compliance with the design requirements for reuse,” says Fontana.
Coffee pods in the recycling bin
“Another significant change,” he continues, “concerns the very definition of packaging. From 12 August, for example, coffee and tea capsules and pods, as well as certain drink sachets, will be classified as such. This has implications both in terms of extended producer responsibility and in relation to end-of-life management and consumer information regarding correct disposal in separate collection schemes.”
The interpretative challenge
Faced with a new framework that rethinks the approach to packaging waste – considering it throughout its entire life cycle (rather than just at the end) – and with a greater emphasis on eco-design, the sector faces no shortage of challenges, starting with regulatory ones. ‘For businesses,’ Fontana emphasises, ‘one of the most pressing challenges is one of interpretation. The regulation, in fact, immediately introduces new definitions of economic operators (manufacturer, importer, distributor and supplier) which require companies to carry out a detailed assessment of their role within the supply chain, resulting in various responsibilities, including those relating to information and documentation. In many cases, there is no automatic answer; a case-by-case analysis is required.”
