Foundations
PPWR deadlines and timeline
Last regulatory verification: 12 August 2026 · 3 official sources
A structured PPWR timeline from entry into force to the 2030s: what applies on each date, which role it binds, and which items still depend on secondary acts.
Key facts
- Regulation (EU) 2025/40 generally applies from 12 August 2026.(S01)
- PPWR requirements are phased: further obligations bite in 2028, 2030 and 2035.(S01)
- Some dated obligations only become operable once the relevant delegated or implementing act is adopted.(S01)
Short answer
PPWR entered into force on 11 February 2025 and applies from 12 August 2026. Documentation and chemical obligations land first, labelling follows once the harmonised labelling act has run its transition, and the design-side obligations — recyclability, recycled content, empty space and format restrictions — start on 1 January 2030.
The timeline
Each entry gives the legal basis, so you can check it against the Regulation rather than against a secondary summary. Where the date is fixed but the operational method is still being adopted, the entry is marked as pending a secondary act.
11 February 2025
In forceRegulation (EU) 2025/40 enters into force
Entry into force starts the clock for every later date and for the Commission's secondary legislation mandates. It does not by itself impose the packaging obligations.
Article 69, Regulation (EU) 2025/40
12 August 2026
In forcePPWR applies — conformity and documentation obligations start
Packaging placed on the EU market must meet the applicable sustainability requirements, carry technical documentation under Annex VII, and be covered by an EU Declaration of Conformity under Article 39 and Annex VIII.
Articles 4, 39, Annex VII, Annex VIII
12 August 2026
In forceSubstances of concern limits apply
The heavy metals sum limit for lead, cadmium, mercury and hexavalent chromium continues from the previous packaging regime, and packaging must minimise substances of concern in its composition.
Article 5, Regulation (EU) 2025/40
12 August 2026
In forcePFAS restriction in food-contact packaging applies
Food-contact packaging may not be placed on the market where PFAS are present at or above the concentration thresholds set in the Regulation, measured on the packaging or any packaging component.
Article 5(5) and Annex, Regulation (EU) 2025/40
12 August 2028
Phases inCompostability required for specified formats
Named formats — including tea and coffee single-serve units, sticky labels on fruit and vegetables and very lightweight plastic carrier bags where required nationally — must be compostable in industrially controlled conditions.
Article 9, Regulation (EU) 2025/40
12 August 2028
Pending secondary actHarmonised labelling regime becomes operational
Material composition and sorting labelling, together with reuse and deposit-system labelling, apply once the Commission's implementing act on labelling has been adopted and its transition period has run.
Articles 12 and 13, Regulation (EU) 2025/40
1 January 2030
Pending secondary actDesign-for-recycling criteria and recyclability grades bite
Packaging must be recyclable against the design-for-recycling criteria and meet the minimum recyclability performance grade. Packaging below the minimum grade may not be placed on the market.
Article 6, Regulation (EU) 2025/40
1 January 2030
Pending secondary actMinimum recycled content in plastic packaging
Plastic packaging must contain a minimum share of post-consumer recycled plastic, with different targets for contact-sensitive packaging, single-use plastic beverage bottles and other plastic packaging.
Article 7, Regulation (EU) 2025/40
1 January 2030
Phases inEmpty space ratio capped at 50%
Grouped packaging, transport packaging and e-commerce packaging must not exceed a 50% empty space ratio, and must be minimised in weight and volume.
Article 24, Regulation (EU) 2025/40
1 January 2030
Phases inAnnex V single-use format restrictions apply
Specified single-use packaging formats, including certain grouped packaging, hospitality single-use items and very lightweight carrier bags, may no longer be placed on the market.
Article 25 and Annex V
1 January 2030
Phases inReuse and refill targets start
Economic operators in scope must meet reuse targets for defined packaging categories, supported by a functioning reuse system and the associated reporting.
Articles 29 and 33, Regulation (EU) 2025/40
1 January 2035
Pending secondary actRecycled at scale assessment applies
Recyclability is no longer judged on design alone: packaging must also be recycled at scale, based on collection, sorting and recycling volumes measured across the EU.
Article 6, Regulation (EU) 2025/40
1 January 2040
Phases inSecond-stage recycled content targets
Recycled content requirements for plastic packaging step up substantially, subject to the Commission's review of feedstock availability.
Article 7, Regulation (EU) 2025/40
How to plan against these dates
Treat the timeline as three planning horizons. The 2026 horizon is a documentation exercise you can complete with information you already hold or can request from suppliers. The 2028 horizon is mostly artwork and format work, which follows print and packaging design cycles. The 2030 horizon involves material and tooling decisions with lead times measured in years, which is why it needs a decision now rather than a diary entry.
Dates that are fixed vs methods that are not
The date most businesses under-plan
12 August 2026 is not a filing deadline. It is the date from which packaging placed on the market must already be covered. Packaging produced earlier and placed on the market after that date is in scope. Building the Annex VII technical documentation for a portfolio of configurations takes longer than most teams assume, because the evidence sits with suppliers.
Official sources for this page
Every statement above is written against these sources. Where a Commission document and the Regulation differ, the Regulation controls.
- Regulation (EU) 2025/40 — EUR-LexBinding law
- PPWR Implementation HubCommission guidance
- European Commission Comitology RegisterOfficial implementation / research
- Sources last verified
- 12 August 2026
- Content last updated
- 12 August 2026
- First published
- 12 August 2026
Written and maintained by the PPWRDeclaration.com editorial team. General information about Regulation (EU) 2025/40 — not legal advice.
Why this matters
What happens if the documentation isn't there
The packaging can be restricted
Packaging without valid technical documentation is treated as non-compliant. Market surveillance authorities can require corrective action, restrict sale, or withdraw it from the market.
Penalties apply per Member State
Each Member State sets its own penalties for non-compliance, and they apply where the packaging is placed on the market — not where your business sits.
Buyers block you first
Retailers, distributors and importers increasingly ask for the Declaration and supporting evidence before onboarding. No file usually means no listing.
Late evidence costs more
Supplier declarations and lab testing have long lead times. Discovering a gap close to a deadline forces rushed testing or packaging redesign.