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EU PPWR: HOW TO MAKE PACKAGING CHOICES A Decision-Making Flow

  • anna-perlina
  • Nov 14
  • 3 min read

Updated: Nov 17

EU PPWR


If you are placing packaging on the EU market, you must comply with the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which took effect on February 11, 2025. This regulation marks a major shift towards sustainable packaging, aiming to reduce environmental impact and harmonize packaging practices across all EU Member States.


The PPWR sets mandatory targets for:

  • Recyclability

  • Reuse

  • Recycled content in plastic packaging

  • Packaging reduction and avoiding unnecessary packaging


Non-compliance means you will no longer be allowed to place your packaging on the EU market according to the milestones defined by the Regulation. Given this, choosing the more sustainable packaging becomes not just a business decision but a regulatory obligation.


In this context, you are probably thinking about which packaging options you have and how to choose the best one from both a regulatory and business perspective.


Screening and comparing packaging choices might seem confusing, but in reality, approaching it requires a structured method that helps narrow down your options and rely on facts to make decisions.


So, if your company is currently at that crossroads, this guide will walk you through a structured decision-making flow to help you make compliant, sustainable, and business-savvy packaging choices.


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Step 1: Identify your packaging options


  • Purpose: open up the landscape of what is available on the market for your product category.

  • Be unconstrained at first: brainstorm all feasible packaging options.

  • Consider various materials: glass, paper/cardboard, metals, plastics, composites, innovative and bio materials.

  • Consider various formats: bottles, cans, jars, boxes, trays, pouches, etc.

  • List alternative solutions: single-use packaging, reusable and refillable systems, biodegradable/compostable packaging.

  • Tip: don’t filter or judge options at this stage — aim for a comprehensive list.


Step 2: Evaluate functional requirements


  • Purpose: ensure the packaging can properly perform its primary function — product protection.

  • Checklist: product integrity, consumer safety, shelf-life, logistical and handling needs.

  • Key point: sustainability must not compromise packaging functionality. The main role of packaging is to protect the product; otherwise, all the efforts to improve packaging sustainability while compromising the integrity of the product inside are pointless.

  • This allows you to significantly narrow down your choices.


Step 3: Assess compliance with EU PPWR requirements


  • Purpose: determine which packaging options are legally viable under the PPWR.

  • Checklist: recyclability, reuse, recycled content, minimization of packaging, empty space.

  • Eliminate any options that will not allow you to meet the PPWR requirements.


Step 4: Consider life-cycle impacts


  • Purpose: compare options based on overall environmental footprint. If after the above assessments, you still have more than one option and they significantly differ in terms of material, concept, or operating model, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) can help you make a further differentiation.

  • Perform a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA): assess the environmental impact throughout the value chain, including the consumer usage stage and likely end-of-life scenarios for each packaging option.

  • Prioritize packaging choices that demonstrate significant improvements in environmental metrics compared to others.


Step 5: Assess implementation feasibility and viability


  • Purpose: confirm that the selected option is practical and economically sustainable for your business.

  • Checklist: investment needs, cost of materials and operations, regulatory fees, logistical efficiency, scalability, consumer acceptance.

  • Key point: the final packaging choice needs to be executable and affordable, otherwise, it won't be sustainable for your business.



Final recommendations


✅ Avoid choosing packaging based solely on trends or supplier recommendations without solid assessments.


✅ Use data and document the research you conducted and every decision you make.


✅ Keep detailed records of:

  • Screening and evaluation steps

  • Data supporting your decisions

  • Compliance documentation


✅ This information will be critical for:

  • Demonstrating regulatory compliance

  • Responding to authority checks

  • Communicating with consumers and other stakeholders about why and how the packaging choices were made

  • Certifying your packaging choices

  • Digital Product Passports


 
 
 
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