{"id":4732,"date":"2026-08-13T17:31:52","date_gmt":"2026-08-13T15:31:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sipospack.hu\/?p=4732"},"modified":"2026-08-13T19:24:11","modified_gmt":"2026-08-13T17:24:11","slug":"ppwr-regulation-flexible-packaging-recycled-plastic-design-for-recycling-ppwr-deadlines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sipospack.hu\/en\/blog\/2026\/ppwr-regulation-flexible-packaging-recycled-plastic-design-for-recycling-ppwr-deadlines\/","title":{"rendered":"PPWR: A New Era for Packaging \u2013 What Does It Mean for Food and Flexible Packaging?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The European Union\u2019s new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation \u2013 PPWR (Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation) \u2013 has now entered its general application phase.<\/h2>\n

What does this mean for a company that manufactures or uses f<\/strong>lexible packaging for food products? The most important point is that not all packaging needs to be replaced on August 12<\/strong>. The PPWR introduces a longer transition process. Some requirements apply now, while others will become relevant in 2028 or as late as 2040.<\/p>\n

What changes from August 12 onward?<\/h3>\n

The general application date of the PPWR is August 12, 2026<\/strong>. From this date, the Regulation is directly applicable in EU Member States, while Member States must also establish the national rules necessary for its implementation and enforcement. In Hungary, several legislative amendments required for the implementation of the PPWR have been introduced in 2026.<\/p>\n

According to the National Association of Packaging and Material Handling (CSAOSZ),<\/a> <\/strong>it is important to note that the complete PPWR framework is not yet available in its final, fully implementable form. Numerous detailed requirements will be defined by implementing and delegated acts to be adopted over the coming years.<\/p>\n

For businesses, therefore, the task now is not to replace all packaging immediately, but rather to assess their existing packaging, collect the necessary data and documentation, and begin the transition towards structures that will meet future requirements.<\/p>\n

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What directly affects flexible food packaging?<\/h3>\n

One of the PPWR’s key objectives is to regulate the entire life cycle of packaging \u2013 from design and production through to waste management.<\/p>\n

For flexible packaging \u2013 such as pouches, bags, films and laminated structures \u2013 four areas are particularly important:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Recyclability and \u201cDesign for Recycling\u201d<\/li>\n
  2. The safety of food-contact packaging, including PFAS restrictions<\/li>\n
  3. Future requirements for recycled content in plastic packaging<\/li>\n
  4. Reducing packaging weight and volume and avoiding unnecessary packaging<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    These requirements are complemented by documentation, conformity assessment, labelling and EPR obligations.<\/p>\n

    Recyclable packaging: the biggest change for the flexible packaging sector<\/h3>\n

    The basic principle of the PPWR is that all packaging placed on the market must be recyclable. However, the Regulation introduces the specific requirements related to this principle in stages.<\/p>\n

    The EU criteria required for detailed \u201cDesign for Recycling\u201d <\/a><\/strong>assessments are to be adopted by the Commission by January 1, 2028. The specific recyclability requirements will apply from 2030, subject to the entry into force of the relevant legal acts. From 2035 onwards, it will also matter whether packaging waste is actually collected, sorted and recycled at an adequate scale.<\/p>\n

    This is particularly important for flexible packaging.<\/p>\n

    In the future, it will no longer be enough to simply describe packaging as \u201crecyclable.\u201d Questions such as these will become increasingly important:<\/p>\n

    What is it made of? What is its structure? How can it be sorted? Which recycling process can it enter? And does a system actually exist in practice where it can be recycled at an adequate scale?<\/p>\n

    This approach is already shaping the development of flexible packaging today. One of the key elements in preparing for the PPWR is the development of \u201cDesigned for Recycling\u201d solutions and mono-material structures.<\/p>\n

    It is important to note, however, that the PPWR itself does not state that all flexible packaging must be mono-material. The key requirement is compliance with the recyclability criteria defined by the Regulation.<\/p>\n

    What does this mean in practice?<\/h3>\n

    When developing flexible packaging, the following factors are becoming increasingly important:<\/p>\n