SGS outlines what the EU’s new packaging rules mean for businesses

The EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation reaches its first compliance deadline in August 2026, and SGS is urging brands, importers and suppliers to prepare now. The rules expand who is responsible, tighten chemical and recyclability standards, and add new labeling and documentation requirements.

Why it matters: - The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation will affect how packaging is designed, tested, labeled and documented across the full supply chain. - Brands, importers and suppliers face new compliance duties that can reach beyond the company that physically makes the packaging. - Businesses that miss the first deadlines risk redesigns, market delays and enforcement pressure as the rules tighten through 2030.

What happened: - SGS said businesses need to prepare for the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation’s first major compliance deadline in August 2026. - The company outlined the regulation’s key requirements for packaging compliance, chemical limits, recyclability, traceability and extended producer responsibility. - SGS also pointed readers to its FAQ on the regulation: FAQ: What You Need to Know About the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR).

The details: - PPWR uses a broad definition of packaging that includes secondary components such as hangtags, labels and fasteners. - Importers must verify that packaging meets requirements before products enter the EU market. - Any company that influences packaging design, material selection or branding may be treated as the manufacturer and carry full compliance responsibility. - The company first placing a product on an EU market carries extended producer responsibility, including registration and financing of packaging waste collection in each member state. - The regulation limits heavy metals, including lead, cadmium, mercury and hexavalent chromium, to a combined concentration of 100 ppm. - PPWR sets low thresholds for PFAS in food-contact packaging. - SGS recommends a stepwise testing approach, starting with total fluorine screening and moving to more detailed analysis when needed. - Claims should match the testing performed and avoid broader statements that cannot be substantiated. - Companies must keep laboratory test reports, technical documentation files and a signed EU Declaration of Conformity. - Labeling and traceability requirements begin in mid-2026. - Packaging will need manufacturer or importer details and a traceability identifier. - Harmonized EU-wide recycling pictograms are due in 2028. - Traceability information may be consolidated on the main packaging and supported by QR codes where appropriate. - Packaging must be recyclable in principle from 2026. - The recyclability threshold tightens to at least 70% from 2030. - Packaging below that threshold will be barred from the EU market. - PPWR also limits empty space in grouped, transport and e-commerce packaging. - Businesses must justify those design choices in their technical documentation.

Between the lines: - The regulation shifts compliance from a packaging-only issue to a broader product stewardship problem. - Companies that use contract manufacturers or customize packaging design may need to re-check who legally owns compliance duties. - The testing and documentation burden suggests that packaging claims will need tighter internal controls and more conservative marketing language. - The move toward harmonized labeling and recyclability standards points to a more unified EU packaging market, but only for companies that can adapt quickly.

What’s next: - SGS is urging businesses to build complete bills of materials for all packaging components. - Companies are being told to run chemical testing, assess recyclability at the design stage and confirm extended producer responsibility registration in relevant markets. - SGS said acting early can help avoid last-minute redesigns and supply chain disruption as enforcement begins. - SGS continues to offer testing, inspection and certification services for primary, secondary and transport packaging across paper, corrugated materials, rigid plastics, textiles and glass. - Those services include PFAS and food-contact testing, recyclability and sustainability assessments, and labeling verification.