{"id":117941,"date":"2026-06-26T15:53:26","date_gmt":"2026-06-26T13:53:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/packaging-journal.de\/?p=117941"},"modified":"2026-06-26T15:53:26","modified_gmt":"2026-06-26T13:53:26","slug":"ppwr-packaging-industry-facing-transformation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/packaging-journal.de\/en\/ppwr-verpackungswirtschaft-vor-transformation\/","title":{"rendered":"PPWR: The packaging industry faces transformation"},"content":{"rendered":"

With the European Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) coming into force, a new era is beginning for the packaging industry. At Future Resources 2026 in Cologne, Franziska Safak, Secretary General of the Central Agency Packaging Register (ZSVR), made it clear that companies now face a reorganisation of their processes \u2013 not only with packaging itself, but particularly in their handling of data, information, and supply chains.<\/strong><\/p>\n

For Franziska Safak, the most important message is clear. \u201eWe can finally say with certainty: the PPWR and the VerpackDG will come on 12 August.\u201c This was preceded by intensive political work in recent months. \u201eWe really have reason to celebrate, because Germany is the only country that has established national law based on the PPWR by 12 August, its launch date.\u201c<\/p>\n

In the ZSVR's view, the new legal situation will change far more than individual technical requirements. It leads to a new logic of product responsibility, in which packaging can no longer be considered in isolation but must be understood as part of complex material, data, and logistics systems.<\/p>

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The Declaration of Conformity becomes the key instrument<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The PPWR will require significantly more extensive datasets in the future than before. Companies will have to record, document, and make information available along the supply chain in a standardised way. \u201eThe declaration of conformity will clearly be the central instrument for proving compliant packaging in the future.\u201c<\/p>\n

This becomes particularly clear in the development of new packaging. Previously, decisions were often driven by marketing requirements, product protection, and cost. However, under the PPWR regulations, other criteria must be brought more to the fore. \u201eIn the future, consideration must be given from the outset of packaging design to how packaging behaves \u2013 throughout its entire life cycle,\u201c says Safak. This means packaging is regarded as a circular product from the start. Companies must consider how materials can be used multiple times, reused, or recycled to a high standard. And topics such as reusability, reuse, and lifecycle extension will become central to strategic decisions.<\/p>\n

Recyclability is moving into focus<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A key point of the PPWR concerns the recyclability of packaging. Franziska Safak: \u201eIn the future, responsibility along the supply chain will be shifted forward to the producer. They will be responsible for ensuring that recycling can take place at the end of the day, that the dual systems can meet quotas, and that sorting facilities are able to separate the correct materials.\u201c The consequences are significant: material selection, colours, composite structures, or labels could in future determine whether packaging is considered compliant or not. Companies must therefore integrate ecological criteria into their development processes much earlier than before.<\/p>\n

VerpackDG comes just in time for PPWR: ZSVR Secretary-General Franziska Safak<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n