On February 11, 2025, REGULATION (EU) 2025/40 of the European Parliament and of the Council of December 19, 2024, known as PPWR, concerning packaging and packaging waste, came into force. The PPWR aims to reduce the amount of unnecessary packaging, promote reuse and recycling, and decrease the use of virgin raw materials. Its scope is broad, covering all packaging (regardless of material or sector), related waste, and all European Union member states, addressing the entire life cycle of packaging, from design to end-of-life management. By 2030, the introduced measures are projected to significantly cut climate-changing emissions, water usage, and overall environmental and health impacts. In particular, the PPWR stipulates that: All packaging must be reusable or recyclable in an economically sustainable manner by 2030. Excessive and unnecessary packaging must be reduced. The recycled content in packaging must be increased. Hazardous and harmful substances in packaging must be phased out. Relevant deadlines August 12, 2026: From this date, packaging may only be placed on the EU market if it complies with the PPWR. Stocks already placed on the market before that date will remain saleable. August 12, 2028: repeal of current environmental labeling systems based on EC Decision 129/97, such as in Italy, France, Spain, and Bulgaria, and introduction of new PPWR implementation rules. The implications for companies are considerable, requiring a review of packaging design and careful management of material flows to certify recyclability, recycled content, and, where applicable, reuse. It also becomes strategic to plan stock management in view of August 12, 2026, and to monitor future implementing acts in order to comply with the technical and labeling requirements. [...]

The series of in-depth analyses on the Waste Framework Directive (Dir. 2008/98/EC, amended by Dir. 2018/851) and the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (Dir. 94/62/EC amended by Dir. 2018/852) continues. These two directives create a stringent regulatory framework that manufacturers and distributors must comply with in order to operate in the European market. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging in Europe is a legal system that transfers the burden of end-of-life packaging management to producers, importers, and distributors. This is not just an economic obligation, but a real environmental responsibility, which aims to make those who place packaging on the market directly involved in reducing its environmental impact. In practice, companies must finance and organize activities such as: collection of packaging waste transport to treatment facilities recycling and recovery final disposal In most European countries, producers fulfill these obligations by joining recognized consortia or collective organizations. These entities centralize the management of the recovery chain, ensuring that companies comply with national regulations. For sellers operating outside their national market, it is almost always necessary to appoint a local authorized representative to act as a point of contact for the authorities in the country where the packaged products are placed on the market and to ensure regulatory compliance. Currently, in Europe, EPR is managed in a fragmented manner at the national level, both in terms of fees and obligations. However, starting in August 2026, with the entry into force of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), there will be a gradual harmonization of EPR schemes among Member States, of criteria for calculating financial contributions, and of criteria for appointing authorized representatives. To [...]

The protection of the environment and the sustainable management of resources have now become essential pillars of European policies. To address challenges such as increasing waste, material waste, and the impacts associated with the use of packaging, the European Union has developed over time a coherent regulatory framework aimed at promoting the transition to a circular economy. In this context, two directives play a central role: the Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EC, amended by 2018/851) and the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (94/62/EC amended by Directive (EU) 2018/852). The former strengthens the waste hierarchy and producer responsibility; the latter promotes the reduction of the environmental impact of packaging, encouraging recycling and reuse. These directives work synergistically towards the European goal of a circular economy, in which packaging is designed, produced, distributed, and disposed of in a sustainable way. These directives are relevant for producers and distributors because they introduce binding obligations on packaging and waste management, which must be complied with in order to operate in the European market. In this first article, we will focus on the issue of environmental labeling, as regulated by the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive, while in the next article we will examine in greater depth the principle of producer responsibility. Environmental labeling refers to the set of information displayed on a product’s packaging that serves to identify the materials it is made of and to inform consumers of the correct methods of collection and disposal. In other words, it is a mandatory tool that makes the final destination of packaging transparent, facilitating separate collection and ensuring compliance with legal requirements. Currently, in Europe, there is still [...]