Manufacturers exporting goods to the European Union are preparing for new packaging rules that come into force on 12 August, requiring companies to provide greater evidence that packaging materials meet environmental and safety standards.
The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which replaces the EU’s previous Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive, introduces new obligations covering packaging materials, labelling and documentation as part of the bloc’s efforts to reduce waste and promote a circular economy.
The regulation applies to businesses placing packaged goods on the EU market, including manufacturers outside the EU exporting machinery, industrial equipment, electrical products and components.
According to the new rules, companies will be required to demonstrate compliance with restrictions on substances used in packaging, prepare an EU Declaration of Conformity and meet new labelling requirements. Exporters will also need to comply with Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes in the EU countries where their products are sold.
Industrial companies are already reviewing their packaging processes ahead of the deadline.
ABB Robotics said suppliers should be assessing existing packaging materials, collecting technical information from packaging suppliers and preparing the documentation needed to demonstrate compliance with the regulation. The company said reliable documentation would be needed to verify recycled content and compliance with substance restrictions for both customers and regulators.
Beckhoff Automation said it had been working with packaging suppliers to ensure its packaging complies with the new requirements and was monitoring further guidance from the European Commission on implementation. The company said it expected to prepare declarations of conformity as harmonised standards are finalised.
The regulation is also expected to increase demand for better packaging data across manufacturing supply chains.
Neil Smith, President of Consumer Packaged Goods at Schneider Electric, said companies should view the regulation as more than a packaging exercise.
“Supply chain visibility and regulatory readiness have converged into a single challenge, one that next-generation industrial intelligence is now equipped to solve,” he said.
Smith said manufacturers would need better visibility of packaging materials and supplier data to demonstrate compliance, arguing that digital traceability would become an increasingly important part of export readiness.
The regulation marks the first stage of a wider programme of reforms. Further requirements, including harmonised packaging labels, recycled-content targets for plastic packaging and mandatory recyclability performance grades, will be introduced between 2028 and 2038.
