Plastics Industry Sees PPWR as a Milestone

At this year’s largest meeting of the packaging industry, FACHPACK 2024 in Nuremberg, trade visitors also discussed important political and regulatory issues affecting the packaging industry. Although the famous crystal ball is not available, the industry needs to know how to deal with the new regulations, above all the PPWR, said Dr Johannes Bergmair, Secretary General of the World Packaging Organization (WPO).

PPWR not finalized

“The PPWR has been decided, but not finalized,” said Bergmair. He moderated the PACKBOX expert forum with speaker Dr. Alexander Kronimus, Managing Director of PlasticsEurope Deutschland. Plastics Europe Deutschland e. V. is the association of plastics producers in Germany. The association is a trade association of the German Chemical Industry Association (VCI) and part of the European Plastics Europe network with representation in Brussels and the European economic centers and capitals.

Under the title “Packaging in Transition: Key Points of the European Packaging Regulation”, Kronimus informed his audience in English about the specific objectives of the EU packaging regulation PPWR.

In April, many amendments to the PPWR were adopted in the EU Parliament in the final stages of the approval process, but some of them contradict each other, according to Kronimus. Although the PPWR is not perfect, Plastics Europe Germany, the association of plastics producers, welcomes the regulation. It is a “milestone” on the way to a circular economy. However, as there are still contradictions and many unanswered questions, the next legislative steps must be closely monitored. Ultimately, it is also unclear who will monitor implementation and how.

With the PPWR, for example, companies must be prepared for ambitious recycling quotas and new requirements for food contact materials. Kronimus pointed out that some provisions of the EU packaging regulation, such as the mirror clause and some material bans, were technologically controversial and had not yet been completely clarified.

According to the so-called mirror clause, the recyclate to be used in plastic packaging may in future either originate from the EU or have been recycled outside the EU. The prerequisite is that it must meet European quality and sustainability requirements for recyclates. The plastic waste required for this can also have been collected outside the EU.

An example of ambiguity: it has been decided that from January 1, 2030, companies must ensure that at least 40 percent of their transport packaging can be reused. From 2040, the quota will rise to 70 percent. But for some packaging, such as shrink film and film wrapping, Kronimus said, “there are still no technological solutions to meet these requirements.”

Open Questions for Beverage Packaging

Another example cited by the plastics expert was that from 2030 on, ten percent of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage packaging should be recyclable, and from 2040 on, the target is 40 percent. Exceptions are planned for packaging for milk, mixed milk drinks, and most wines, for example. “But it is not yet clear exactly which products are subject to the requirements, and which are not. The list is not yet complete,” criticized Kronimus. This would only become clear over the course of the next 24 months.

Regardless of the position on the PPWR, the individual implementation measures now had to be closely monitored and checked for realistic implementation, he said. Plastics Europe would do this.