PPWR and Food Suppliers: Your Introductory Guide
- caoilinnokelly
- Jul 31
- 5 min read
Updated: Aug 5
Feeling overwhelmed by PPWR requirements hitting August 2026?
You're not alone. Food suppliers across Europe are facing this challenge. The PPWR (Packaging & Packaging Waste Regulation) will combine PFAS bans and recyclability requirements across hundreds of suppliers, while quality and procurement teams are expected to maintain food safety and operational efficiency.
Read on to see what we've learned about the PPWR and its effects on our clients, and many food suppliers across the world.
The short version? The companies that nail PPWR compliance early don’t just avoid penalties and added work, they gain a significant competitive advantage.
The PPWR
The EU's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) is reshaping how the food and beverage industry will approach packaging in the future. As a food supplier, you're at the centre of this transformation—managing packaging for ingredients coming in, products going out, and everything in between.
The PPWR entered into force on February 11, 2025, and applies from August 12, 2026. Unlike previous directives, this regulation creates uniform rules across all EU member states, eliminating the patchwork of national interpretations that previously complicated international operations.
How are food suppliers impacted?
Most PPWR guidance focuses on packaging design. But the way we see it, successful PPWR compliance needs a focus on supplier management, as well as packaging decisions.
In particular, food and beverage suppliers face unique PPWR challenges:
Dual Packaging Responsibility: You handle both transport packaging from suppliers and sales packaging for your products. Each has different compliance requirements under PPWR.
Food Safety vs. Sustainability: Balancing packaging minimization with food safety, shelf life, and contamination prevention creates complex trade-offs.
Supply Chain Complexity: Your packaging compliance depends on upstream suppliers and downstream retailers, requiring coordinated compliance strategies.
Immediate Actions for Food Suppliers (August 2026)
PFAS Ban: Critical for Food Contact Materials
What it means: PFAS (per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances) are banned from food contact packaging starting August 12, 2026. This directly affects:
Food wrapping papers and films
Microwave-safe containers
Grease-resistant packaging
Processed meat packaging
Dairy product containers
Many companies are now required to an audit of all food contact packaging materials with suppliers. Many suppliers are discovering PFAS in packaging they didn't realize contained these substances.
In some cases, switching packaging can take months of research and development to find an alternative that keeps the same food safety standards, and doesn't cause harm to consumers’ health.
Substances of Concern in Food Packaging
Beyond PFAS, the regulation restricts heavy metals and BPA in food contact materials. For suppliers, this means:
Reviewing can linings and bottle caps
Checking printed packaging inks
Verifying supplier compliance certificates and inspection reports
How to use the PPWR to your advantage
These added rules mean increased supplier management. Many companies will now require their suppliers to complete audits, inspection reports and various forms to ensure these rules are applied across the supply chain.
PPWR compliance requires data collection across and throughout your supply chain. The traditional approach of using Excel templates and emails breaks down when you need such specific product recyclability data, declarations and sustainability metrics from hundreds of suppliers simultaneously.
Automated data collection at scale
Smart platforms like Agriplace eliminate manual document management by identifying necessary datapoints and automatically sending the correct form to the right supplier.
Instead of chasing suppliers for months, our customers get comprehensive supply chain data from product specifications to supplier declarations easily through automated follow-ups and targeted requests, so your suppliers are never asked for irrelevant data.
The Agriplace platform helps to track suppliers for compliance based on requirements you can custom-make for you or for retailers’ requirements. Our clients often set up automated alerts for supplier certificate expirations and enable proactive supplier management instead of reactive crisis management.
AI-Powered Document Intelligence
Our Advanced AI Document Scanner can extract critical meta data from product specifications, supplier data and more documents, standardising your data collection and greatly reducing the time spent by your team scanning documents to find the important information.
Centralised Compliance Benchmarking
Our platform allows companies to benchmark their suppliers based on various criteria. No more fragmented supplier data, Agriplace allows you to compare your suppliers based on retailer requirements, sustainability data and much more.
Strategic Planning for Food Suppliers (2027-2030)
The PPWR applies from August 2026, however, it is a staggered introduction for other packaging and packaging waste rules. It’s important for suppliers to look ahead to remain prepared for future rules and regulations given the research and development needed in some cases.
Packaging Minimization: The 50% Rule
Starting in 2030, empty space in packaging cannot exceed 50% of total package volume. For food suppliers, this challenges traditional approaches.
Practical Solutions:
Redesign secondary packaging to reduce void space
Optimize portion sizes to match package dimensions
Consider flexible packaging alternatives to rigid containers
Reusable Packaging Systems (2027)
The regulation promotes reuse and refill systems. Food suppliers should explore:
Glass bottle return systems for beverages and condiments
Bulk dispensing stations for dry goods like cereals and snacks
Refillable containers for liquid products like oils and sauces
Already, many countries around the EU have bottle and glass deposit schemes integrated into retailer stores. Many companies are beginning to offer this on a smaller level by offering their consumers products in refillable bottles, reducing packaging costs and in some cases they can even strengthen customer loyalty with brand awareness and sustainable practices.
Recyclability Requirements for Food Packaging (2030)
By 2030, all packaging must achieve minimum 70% recyclability (80% by 2038). The classification system affects common food packaging:
Class A (95%+ recyclable):
Clear PET bottles without additives
Aluminum cans with standard coatings
Corrugated cardboard boxes
Class B (80-95% recyclable):
Colored PET containers
Glass jars with metal lids
Coated paperboard cartons
Class C (70-80% recyclable):
Multi-layer flexible packaging
Composite containers (paper-plastic combinations)
Metallized films
Its important to note that packaging below 70% recyclability cannot be placed on the market after 2030. Many current food packaging formats—especially flexible multi-material packages—risk falling below this threshold.
Curious about how your packaging compares to these new rules?
Test to see how your packaging holds up to these new rules here.
Beyond Compliance: Competitive Advantage
Leading food suppliers view PPWR not as a burden, but as an opportunity to:
Strengthen brand positioning through authentic sustainability leadership
Reduce long-term costs through packaging optimization and waste reduction
Future-proof operations against increasingly strict environmental regulations
Meet retailer requirements as major chains demand sustainable packaging
The regulation transforms packaging from a cost center into a strategic differentiator. Food suppliers who act early and decisively will lead the sustainable packaging transformation reshaping the industry.
PPWR compliance isn't just about meeting regulations - it’s about transforming how you manage supplier relationships, make packaging decisions and position your brand in an increasingly consumption-conscious market.
Want to learn more about how the PPWR and other upcoming regulations will affect your supplier engagement and management?
Schedule a 15 minute chat with our team to discuss the trends we’re seeing in the food and beverage industry.
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