The EU Commission has decided to exclude pallet wrapping and strapping from the reuse quotas of the Packaging Ordinance PPWR. The change follows intensive discussions with the industry - and is welcomed by the sector.
On 15 October 2025, the EU Commission announced a key change to the planned EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR): Pallet wrapping and strapping will not fall under the strict reuse targets of Articles 29.2 and 29.3 in future. This is Brussels' response to massive industry concerns and creates more planning security in a highly relevant area of logistics.
Reuse targets criticised
Previously, the regulation stipulated that transport and sales packaging used between company locations or between different market players must be 100 per cent reusable from 1 January 2030. This regulation would also have included pallet wrapping and strapping - standard solutions for securing transport.
However, studies show that generalised reuse can be problematic in this area in particular: It would often worsen the CO₂ balance, impair occupational and road safety and lead to considerable additional work in logistics.
dvi: Decision shows the importance of dialogue
Accordingly, the German Packaging Institute (dvi) welcomes the EU's decision. Managing Director Dr Natalie Brandenburg explained:
„The decision shows how important dialogue between the Commission and industry is. Only if practical experience is incorporated can solutions be found that are both feasible and effective in terms of the sustainability goals.“
At the same time, she warned against generalised quotas that would not do justice to the complexity of packaging use in practice: „The most advantageous solution often depends on the specific application. Generalised reusable quotas can even be counterproductive.“
Information paper on securing loading units in progress
In order to provide companies with guidance, the dvi is working on an industry-specific information paper. It is based on the results of the company's own committee on load unit securing. This pools the expertise of over 280 member companies from all parts of the supply chain.
The paper is intended to shed light on technical, logistical and regulatory aspects, address uncertainties and identify potential. Brandenburg emphasises: „We want to offer the industry practical support and at the same time provide well-founded impetus for political decision-making processes through our committee work.“
No green light yet for Article 29.1
Despite the amendment, another part of the regulation remains critical: Article 29.1 still provides for a flat rate of 40 per cent reuse for transport and sales packaging - regardless of the intended use. Here too, the Commission has announced that it will improve the methodology. The industry now hopes that practicable solutions will also be developed in this area.
Source: dvi
