European Commission Publish Guidance on Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR)

The European Commission has published a Commission Notice providing guidance on Regulation (EU) 2025/40 on packaging and packaging waste (PPWR).

This document offers detailed interpretations to support consistent and uniform application of the Regulation across the European Union.

The Regulation entered into force on 11 February 2025 and will apply from 12 August 2026.

The guidance clarifies core regulatory concepts, including definitions of packaging, manufacturers, producers, importers and other economic operators. It also explains how key obligations such as recyclability requirements, PFAS restrictions, composability rules, labelling obligations and packaging minimisation criteria are expected to apply in practice. In addition, it outlines how the Commission will develop further implementing and delegated acts, including design for recycling criteria, labelling specifications and rules for reuse systems.

While the guidance may be updated as practical experience and stakeholder feedback evolve, it does not replace the legal obligations set out in the Regulation. Its aim is to provide legal certainty, support consistent interpretation and help deliver the PPWR’s environmental objectives across the European Union.

The published documents are available to view here. This link has access to the following guidance documents:

• the Communication to the Commission
• the Annex to the Communication to the Commission

If you have queries about this document, the European Commission have additionally published PPWR Frequently Asked Questions document that can be accessed here.

A big thank you to our EPRO colleagues for this information.