While the packaging industry has been preparing for months for the massive impact of the EU packaging regulation (PPWR), the topic has so far remained a side note in the public eye. Now the leading media are picking up on a specific regulation and sparking a lively consumer debate: the end of small shampoo bottles in hotels.
The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) is the dominant topic in the industry. From recyclate usage quotas and design for recycling to strict reduction targets - the implications for all stakeholders in the value chain are enormous. Companies are investing millions in new machinery, materials research and alternative recycling concepts. However, the EU regulation has hardly been discussed outside of specialist circles. This is changing drastically, albeit with a very specific, consumer-centred focus.
Excitement topic travel sizes
Over the past few days, various consumer media have discussed the effects of the PPWR on the usual hotel cosmetics. For example, the Stern on the imminent end of mini shampoos in accommodation and explains that the new EU rules on avoiding packaging waste will take effect from 2030. The Bild newspaper takes up the topic in its consumer section with an attention-grabbing headline about the imminent disappearance of the beloved hotel mini shampoos.
The PPWR stipulates that certain single-use packaging formats should disappear from the market in future. These include small cosmetic products in the hospitality industry, provided they have a volume of less than 50 millilitres for liquids. For the manufacturers of such travel sizes and the hotel industry, this means a mandatory switch to refillable dispenser systems or solid, alternative dosage forms.
Discrepancy in perception
This media development is an exciting phenomenon for the players in the packaging industry. While decision-makers and developers wrestle behind the scenes with highly complex regulatory requirements on material cycles, empty space quotas and verification obligations, the public debate is ignited by a detail that is highly emotional for consumers but rather small in the overall context of the regulation. The reactions of readers in social networks and comment columns range from approval for environmental reasons to incomprehension about the paternalism of travel comfort.
One thing is certain: Current reporting shows that the PPWR is gradually leaving the political and industrial bubble. When the regulations for miniature packaging in hotel showers come into force in 2030, this will only be the visible tip of the iceberg of a regulation that is already fundamentally transforming the packaging industry.
