A new Trade Note from Timber Development UK is setting out what members need to know about the Packaging & Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which came into force in February 2025 and will be applied to shipments arriving at the EU border from 12 August 2026.
The PPWR regulation requires all businesses placing packaged goods on the EU market to ensure packaging is recyclable, minimally wasteful, contains mandatory recycled plastic, and eliminates restricted substances (e.g. heavy metals and PFAS).
The regulation does not apply to imports arriving in Great Britain. It will apply, at least in part, to goods arriving in Northern Ireland, and if you are selling packaged products to the EU (including Ireland) you will have obligations under PPWR as an exporter.
The regulation does apply to all three types of packaging: sales (primary), grouped (secondary), and transport (tertiary) packaging, and to both commercial and consumer focused packing, but requirements will vary by type and depending on where companies sit in the supply chain.
You can read TDUK’s Trade Note online here.
