PPWR update: what UK businesses should review in their packaging now

Part of our Responsible Packaging guidance
Last updated: April 2026

Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR)

The EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, PPWR, applies from 12 August 2026. For some UK businesses, that may still sound a long way off. In practice, it is close enough to start asking some sensible questions now.

Download the PPWR Explainer (PDF)

Why this matters

PPWR is an EU regulation, not a UK one. But if your business exports into Europe, supplies customers who do, or operates in an EU-linked supply chain, it may start to influence what is expected from your packaging.

That matters because PPWR is pushing packaging in a clear direction. Less unnecessary material. Better recyclability. More attention on packaging design, reuse, labelling and recycled content. The European Commission has described the Regulation as part of a move towards packaging that is more recyclable and less wasteful, with wider measures including mandatory recyclability by 2030, minimum recycled content in plastic packaging and reuse targets.

For most businesses, the question is not whether they need to panic. They do not. The question is whether the packaging they use today is likely to stand up well to tighter customer expectations tomorrow.

What is PPWR?

PPWR is the EU’s packaging regulation, with key requirements coming into force from 12 August 2026. It replaces the earlier Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive with a single regulation that applies directly across the EU.

It affects UK businesses supplying goods into the EU, including the packaging used to protect and transport them.

Who does PPWR affect?

What should businesses be reviewing now?

Ahead of August 2026, the most useful step is not a legal deep dive. It is a practical packaging review. That review should start with a few straightforward questions:

• Are any of your products or packaging going into the EU market, either directly or through customers?
• Which packaging lines are most likely to come under pressure on recyclability, packaging reduction or material choice?
• Do you already have the packaging data you would need if a customer asked for more detail, including material type, weight and pack format?
• Are there lines where you may be using more packaging than you need?
• Could any formats be reviewed now, while there is still time to make sensible changes rather than rushed ones later?

One area to keep an eye on

Transport packaging is a good example of how this is developing in real time.

In February 2026, the European Commission confirmed that pallet wrapping and straps would be exempt from an earlier 100% reuse requirement in certain circumstances. At the same time, the wider direction of travel under PPWR remains the same, with reuse and packaging design still very much part of the picture.

That tells businesses two key things:

• First, the detail may continue to evolve.
• Second, the overall pressure on packaging performance, material use and design is not going away.

How could PPWR impact your business?

Businesses are already dealing with more questions around packaging than they were a few years ago:

• How recyclable is it?
• Can it be reduced?
• Is there a better material option?
• What data do we actually have?
• Are we likely to be challenged on this by customers or supply chain partners?

Those questions do not just sit with compliance teams. They affect purchasing, operations, warehousing, product protection and cost. In practical terms, PPWR is likely to push businesses toward:

• Packaging redesign requirements, particularly on recyclability
• Increased data and reporting obligations
• Multiple EU EPR schemes to navigate across member states
• Material availability pressure as demand for recycled content rises
• Increased scrutiny from customers and supply chain partners

PPWR and UK EPR are separate regimes

UK EPR is the UK’s packaging producer responsibility system. PPWR is the EU’s broader packaging regulation.

They are not the same law, but they are moving businesses in a similar direction, with more attention on packaging data, recyclability, design and waste reduction. For UK businesses with EU customers, both will sit in the background of any serious packaging review.

Read our EPR guidance for how the UK side fits together.

What happens if you don’t comply?

The risk is rarely just the fine. It is the operational knock-on: held shipments, customer escalations, and the time taken to find a compliant alternative under pressure.

How Samuel Grant Packaging can help

At Samuel Grant Packaging, we help customers take a practical view of packaging. That means looking at protection, performance, material use and cost, while also helping customers build a clearer picture of the packaging they buy and use. It is the same thinking behind our wider approach to packaging audits, material reviews and compliance support.

We can support you with:

• Identifying at-risk packaging in your range
• Improving recyclability without compromising protection
• Reducing material use where it makes sense
• Preparing for EU requirements and customer questions
• Joining up your thinking across PPWR, EPR, RAM and PPT

In many cases, the right next step is not a major packaging overhaul. It is a structured review of the packaging you already use, so you can see where changes may improve efficiency, support recyclability or simply put you in a stronger position for future customer and market demands.

Related packaging regulations

PPWR sits alongside other packaging regulations, which are increasingly linked. Together, these influence how packaging is specified, measured and costed.

Further guidance

For more information, visit the Government website for Business guidance, or speak to your Samuel Grant Packaging account manager.

Download the PPWR Explainer (PDF)