PPWR was adopted on 24 April - what does this mean for you?
In our blogs last September and November we shared the developments regarding the new PPWR that will replace the existing packaging regulation dating from 1994. The new regulation has since been further discussed and amended, before it was approved by the European Parliament on 24 April 2024. The PPWR includes requirements for the use of reusable transport packaging. This third blog is an update to help you get prepared.
The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, or PPWR, is a new EU regulation which aims to tackle constantly growing waste, harmonise internal market rules and boost the circular economy. Among rules for all packaging, it applies to transport packaging in that it orders its reuse and restricts empty space in transport packaging. On 24 April the PPWR was approved with 476 votes in favour, 129 against and 24 abstentions.
The EU reports that packaging waste per person in the EU has increased by 34 kg (more than 20%) between 2012 and 2021, now totalling 189 kg of waste for each EU citizen. In 2021 only, the EU generated 84.3 million tonnes of packaging waste, 4.8 million tonnes more than in 2020. This makes it both necessary and desirable to take action and reduce the use of packaging materials.
Article 21 of the PPWR limits the amount of space in transport packaging, making efficient packaging planning increasingly important. It says: "Economic operators who supply products to a final distributor or an end user in grouped packaging, transport packaging or e-commerce packaging, shall ensure that the empty space ratio is maximum 40 %."
Further rules for reusable transport packaging are addressed in article 26 of the new PPWR. This article details regulations for special types of packaging, including packaging for large household appliances as well as reusable packaging for food and beverages.
"Economic operators using transport packaging in the form of pallets, plastic crates, foldable plastic boxes, pails and drums for the conveyance or packaging of products in conditions other than provided for under paragraphs 12 and 13 shall ensure that:
(a) from 1 January 2030, 30 % of such packaging used is reusable packaging within a system for re-use;
(b) from 1 January 2040, 90 % of such packaging used is reusable packaging within a system for re-use."
In 2021 only, the EU generated 84.3 million tonnes of packaging waste, 4.8 million tonnes more than the year before. This makes it necessary to take action
"Transport packaging used by an economic operator shall be reusable where it is used for transporting products:
(a) between different sites, on which the operator performs its activity;
(b) or between any of the sites on which the operator performs its activity and the sites of any other linked enterprise or partner enterprise, as defined in Article 3 of the Annex to Commission Recommendation 2003/361, as applicable on [date]. This obligation applies to pallets, boxes, excluding cardboard, trays, plastic crates, intermediate bulk containers, drums and canisters, of all sizes and materials, including flexible formats."
"By 31 December 2028, the Commission shall adopt implementing acts establishing detailed calculation rules and methodology regarding the targets set out in Article 26. The implementing act shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 59(3)."
Whilst it will be some time before you'll have to comply with registration and reporting rules, it is already clear you'll need to keep a proper administration of your reusable and returnable transport packaging. Will this cause you a lot of extra work? Not necessarily, we think.
Like you, we cannot predict exactly how you'll have to report the number of reusable packaging items you used each year once you'll have to comply with the rules in the PPWR. Nevertheless, from the contents of Article 26 it becomes clear that you'll have to be able to prove exactly how many items you have used and which items these were.
PackControl will make it easier for you to comply with EU regulations. You can easily import data concerning any type of reusable packaging you use and register exactly which transactions have been made using them. Reconciliation and application of rules and agreements can all be automated to make sure your administration is always up-to-date.
All data from this automated packaging registration system can be exported for management reporting, so you can keep an overview and extract the necessary figures from your system. Whilst we don't yet know exactly which figures you'll need, we are sure all information regarding your reusable packaging can be kept up-to-date in this single, user-friendly software system.
You can explore all the benefits of the PackControl packaging registration software on our Capabilities page.
Would you like to learn more about PPWR? You can read our 2 previous blogs on PPWR here: