On February 11, 2025, the long-awaited EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) entered into force, outlining key dates and targets to reduce packaging waste, enhance recyclability and boost circularity across the EU economy.
The PPWR is a welcome step forward in many areas of our transition towards sustainable packaging. Firstly, while many of the key deadlines and targets outlined in the regulation may still meet further debates, the document naturally provides long-awaited regulatory stability that companies like Masterpress have needed to confidently shape sustainable growth strategies. Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, the new regulatory framework has strong potential to serve as a catalyst for building a true ecosystem of collaboration across our industry.
Fundamentally, no single company can navigate the path to sustainable packaging alone – nor will it be able to fully leverage the benefits of the PPWR. Indeed, the new legislation sets out ambitious targets. For instance, making all packaging on the EU market recyclable in an economically viable way by 2030 will undoubtedly be a challenge. A challenge that can be turned into a key vehicle for innovation and ultimately, business growth, if closer collaboration across the packaging value chain, from raw material suppliers, converters, to brand owners and waste management organizations is placed at the forefront.
Hats off for sustainable packaging
To foster this approach, we – the stakeholders in the packaging industry – must put our “competitor hats” away. Competition in many areas of our industry has been blocking the sustainable packaging transition for a number of years. This issue is particularly well illustrated by the adoption of reusable packaging systems. Current reuse models often fail due to fragmentation. Unique packaging designs require centralized collection and cleaning systems, creating inefficiencies that make reuse economically unviable. The solution in this case lies in standardization - creating shared packaging designs that reduce complexity and encourage broader adoption.
For the labeling sector, this means finding ways to maintain branding differentiation while embracing standardization. Here, one promising approach is the use of removable labels, such as shrink sleeves or pressure-sensitive labels with wash-releasable adhesives, which offer brand owners flexibility in design and messaging. However, these innovative projects require strong collaboration between designers, brand owners and recycling facilities to ensure that these systems are not only functional but also scalable.
Moreover, our role as a label printer and converter strategically positions us to encourage innovation through collaborative efforts. By designing products and capabilities that place sustainability and circularity at the forefront, we can aid brand owners and manufacturers in transitioning to materials and systems that help their packaging meet both consumer expectations and regulatory ambitions outlined in the PPWR.
However, this responsibility extends beyond product development. As industry leaders, we must educate and guide our partners, from advising on regulatory changes to championing sustainable and circular practices throughout the supply chain. A few years ago, we created a designed for recycling, mono-material like solution for our customer, Berry Superfos of Berry Global Packaging, seeking a new 50% rPP dairy cup that could facilitate proper identification and recycling in the correct polymer stream. Through close collaboration with our partners, we went beyond recycling by reducing the thickness of the cup to 45µ through the “downgauging” process, which not only reduced plastic use but also helped to lower energy and production costs.
More recently, we worked closely with our ink manufacturing partner Siegwerk in launching their first full UV flexo deinking system in Europe. As part of the project, Siegwerk conducted field tests of the new system at Masterpress’s facilities to confirm its effectiveness, strengthening joint efforts to advance circularity, in the process.
Convincing partners on innovative, sustainable solutions may also often cause a much-needed “snowball” effect in the sustainable packaging transition. For instance, thanks to the successful adoption of the aforementioned low-density polyolefin shrink sleeve material, as well as continued partner consultations, we have downgauged the sleeve to 42µ, providing the thinnest polyolefin shrink sleeve on the market today.
Removing the “buzz” in closer collaboration
While we as an industry must do more to encourage innovation through partnerships and coordinated efforts to deliver the PPWR’s ambitious agenda, we are acutely aware of the challenges associated with ensuring that “closer collaboration” is more than just a buzzword.
Joint industry efforts to push new boundaries will come at a cost. To deliver the sustainable packaging transition through the new regulation, companies will need to invest more, test more and innovate more, which will not only strain budgets but, in many cases, impact production efficiency (i.e. due to test runs). Naturally, these companies will have to rely on external support to alleviate at least some of the costs associated with the transition.
Furthermore, pursuing innovative projects, like the use of removable labels, will not bring us closer to sustainable packaging without targeted subsidies for key partners across the supply chain, such as recyclers, to establish the essential infrastructure needed for full adoption of these solutions.
The hurdles in delivering the PPWR’s ambitious agenda are compounded by the legislation’s lack of standardizations that can help meet the key recycling targets. While standardizations are being simultaneously developed for both recyclers and the recycling process as well as designed for recycling packaging, none of these guidelines are currently included in the PPWR.
Crucially, while the PPWR provides regulatory stability that incentivizes innovation through closer collaboration, its lack of fluidity to accommodate innovative projects in development today exposes a deeper issue with regulatory clarity. However, with the EU’s recent policy shift towards strengthening competitiveness, particularly through regulatory simplification and deregulation, we anticipate a complementary legislative proposal that will reinforce these gaps in the current regulatory framework.
Can we package a greener tomorrow with the PPWR?
The new regulation provides our industry with long-awaited road signs in our journey towards sustainable packaging. By fostering deeper collaborative efforts across the supply chain, we, the packaging industry, can create a key vehicle for innovation that helps us deliver the PPWR’s ambitious agenda and bring us closer to sustainable packaging.
While the current shape of the PPWR presents notable gaps, like the lack of regulatory clarity, it is essential for us to set aside our competitive mindsets as we await further legislative developments. At Masterpress, we recognize the complexity of shifting this mindset but believe our projects, like the thinnest polyolefin shrink sleeve, can encourage the industry to shift from competition to collaboration. Moreover, we stand ready today to pursue partnerships that address key challenges, such as standardization in reusable packaging systems, to ensure that our industry can package a greener tomorrow.