The Packaging Competence Center is a collaboration between the three independent companies Schubert, bp Consultants and Berndt + Partner Creality.
The EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation not only marks an important turning point, it also places very specific obligations on companies selling packaged goods. Guidance and orientation can be provided through expert advice, which packaging machinery manufacturers can deliver in collaboration with other stakeholders – acting as a vital link between marketing and engineering.
Time is of the essence: beginning on 12 August 2026, companies bringing packaging onto the market within the EU must comply with the requirements of the PPWR. This means they need to act now, in such a way that they are not at a disadvantage either financially or in terms of their processes – and can continue to market their products within the EU after 2030. In practical terms, this translates into significantly reduced empty space, minimum recycled content requirements for plastic packaging, the use of easily recyclable materials, and multipacks with paper outer packaging – to name just a few – all aimed at promoting the circular economy, reducing packaging waste in the long term and cutting CO2 emissions.
There is often a gap, however, between regulatory requirements and compliant practice when it comes to targeted implementation. Packaged goods companies often lack the time and expertise to meet these challenging requirements on their own. Given the sheer volume of demands, several well-founded questions arise: Are existing machines, materials and packaging solutions sufficient? Or do companies need to rethink these from the ground up to be PPWR-compliant by 2030 at the latest? How can strategically sound investments be made without running the risk of costly misjudgements – or indeed regretting decisions once they have been made?
The current situation shows that clear action plans are essential for packaged goods companies if they are to remain competitive on the European market in the future. It is often necessary to reconcile regulatory, technological and market requirements: from brand impact at POS to suitable materials and automation – the PPWR affects many different areas that need to be addressed. Whereas single-use solutions once took centre stage, reusable solutions may be required in the future, bringing new demands on shelf presentation and the subsequent return to the reusable system. A change in packaging materials, in turn, may necessitate a redesign of the packaging, while an existing packaging line may now require additional sealing processes to accommodate a wider range of materials.
A valuable outside perspective
Understandably, many manufacturers lack the knowledge and ability to see the bigger picture – and therefore run the risk of failing to meet a key prerequisite for fully complying with the PPWR. Although the question of material choice is often obvious and straightforward, simply changing the packaging material does not in itself make packaging sustainable. Production processes, marketing and ‘design for recycling’ also need to be in line with this approach. When considering packaging materials and their suitability for the PPWR, an outside perspective is extremely helpful: machinery manufacturers can act as the interface between technical, environmental and economic requirements. After all, they themselves work on several fronts and collaborate with material manufacturers, converters and recyclers.
The resulting pool of knowledge is extensive and wide-ranging – and can provide real guidance to packaging companies. At its Packaging Competence Center, for example, Gerhard Schubert brings together comprehensive expertise relating to sustainable, future-proof packaging solutions – both in the context of the PPWR and beyond. Such centers of expertise hold the key to practical solutions that packaging companies currently need. Together, this gives rise to innovations that can lead to the development of new machine technologies, packaging designs and packaging materials.
Here is one example to illustrate just how complex some of these issues can be. Due to its excellent recyclability, paper is highly sought-after as a packaging material. It is increasingly being used for flow-wrapped packaging in the food industry. However, a paper flowpack can be significantly larger than its plastic counterpart, with far-reaching consequences, not only for primary packaging. Larger flowpacks mean potentially larger boxes, transport crates and pallets – with considerable implications for transport costs and the final product price.
Taking these factors into account during packaging development is one of the benefits of collaborative partnerships, whether within the PCC or elsewhere. Whereas technical aspects can be addressed through material and machine testing, consultative approaches are required for overarching issues such as costing, branding, customer design requirements and logistics. Along with engineers, marketing and logistics experts also have sound expertise to contribute here. At the heart of the process is technological and regulatory consultancy that provides direction without, by any means, dictating what a particular solution should look like. This would not do justice to the wide diversity of challenges facing individual companies in specific sectors.
The myth of the ‘no-regret’ solution
What matters now is close collaboration between key players in the value chain and an exchange of views on an equal footing. Comprehensive consultancy should certainly not be neglected at this time. It can highlight options for action and create – at least to some extent – planning certainty.
This helps address a concern currently weighing on many packaged goods companies: the fear of making a bad investment and, consequently, the risk of failing to comply with the PPWR. Experience to date shows that the perspectives of many stakeholders provide a solid basis for addressing outstanding issues in a practical manner and for finding viable solutions. However, a certain degree of flexibility is likely to remain necessary for years to come, even for solutions that have already been successfully implemented. There remains a degree of uncertainty regarding some aspects of the PPWR, especially as the specific implementing regulations under the adopted German Packaging Act Implementation Act (VerpackDG) are still pending. Adjustments to the EU Regulation itself are also likely to be made in the coming years.
The guidance provided by interdisciplinary consultancy therefore represents only one side of the coin. It remains ineffective if packaging line designs cannot be adapted. Precisely because regulations can change rapidly, the production infrastructure itself has to offer a certain degree of flexibility. This enables manufacturers to cope with subsequent regulatory adjustments and changes in the production process. Minimising risk therefore also means deploying modular packaging line designs that do not stand in the way of change but rather facilitate it. It is only when formats, tools, magazines and other components of a packaging line can be quickly reconfigured that true future-proofing becomes possible.