For ecommerce brands, packaging compliance is becoming a supply chain issue.
The European Union (EU)'s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) came into force on 12th August 2026 following an 18 month transition period, introducing new requirements designed to reduce packaging waste, increase recyclability and support a more circular packaging system. For businesses selling into the EU, the implications extend beyond the packaging surrounding a product. They reach into the warehouse, fulfilment operation and wider network of packaging suppliers.
PPWR brings greater focus to understanding what packaging is being used, what it is made from and whether the business has the information to demonstrate compliance.
Packaging compliance starts in the warehouse
The packaging an ecommerce customer sees when an order arrives is only one part of the picture. PPWR can apply to a wide range of packaging used across the supply chain, including product packaging, secondary packaging, cardboard boxes, envelopes, films, pallets and other fulfilment and transport packaging.
For a fulfilment operation handling hundreds or thousands of orders, packaging choices are made every day. The right carton may depend on the size of an order, the products being shipped or delivery requirements. If businesses don't have visibility of those choices, it becomes harder to build an accurate picture of their packaging and demonstrate that the materials being used meet the relevant requirements. This is why fulfilment needs to be part of the packaging conversation.
The importance of the data behind the packaging
Knowing that a box is recyclable is one thing. Having the information to demonstrate what it is made from, how much material it contains and whether it meets the relevant requirements is another. PPWR places greater emphasis on technical and compliance information, including technical specifications and drawings, materials and quantities used, recyclability information, substances of concern and relevant heavy metal concentrations.
For ecommerce brands, much of this information may sit with packaging suppliers or other partners. That makes supplier information increasingly important. The challenge is not only choosing compliant packaging, but making sure the supporting information is accurate, accessible and maintained when packaging changes.
Visibility needs to extend across the supply chain
PPWR responsibilities sit across the packaging supply chain. Manufacturers, product manufacturers, brands, packers, fulfilment providers and other businesses involved with packaging can all have duties under the regulation.
For ecommerce brands, understanding where those responsibilities sit will be essential. The business whose brand appears on the packaging, or that defines its specifications, will generally have the responsibility associated with the packaging's “Manufacturer” status. For brands working with third-party fulfilment providers, this means asking what packaging is used to fulfil orders, where the relevant material information comes from, how changes are recorded and what documentation is available.
The warehouse is where packaging choices become operational decisions. It is also where businesses can start to build a clearer picture of the materials being used across their orders.
Packaging decisions now sit across teams
Packaging decisions cannot sit solely with procurement, sustainability or product teams. Fulfilment and logistics teams also need to understand what packaging is being used and how that information is captured. Packaging information should be treated as part of the operational data businesses already need to manage.
Fulfilment partners can work with packaging suppliers to collect the technical and compliance information required, while assessing packaging requirements across platforms. They can also support with identifying opportunities around packaging efficiency, waste reduction and optimisation.
August 2026 is the starting point
The PPWR is being introduced progressively, so businesses need to look beyond the requirements applying now.
The first requirements include areas such as material compliance, technical documentation and traceability, alongside declarations of conformity and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).
Further requirements will follow. By 2030, the focus will include design for recycling, recycled content and packaging minimisation, with further requirements around recycling, recycled content and reuse following in 2035 and 2040. This means the work shouldn't stop at understanding what needs to change today. Building better visibility of packaging now will make it easier to respond as further requirements come into effect.
Better packaging decisions start with better visibility
PPWR puts packaging under greater scrutiny - it is not enough to simply change a box or choose a different material. Now, brands must understand the packaging moving through the business, know who is responsible for it and have access to the information needed to demonstrate compliance. Getting that visibility now will make it easier to identify where information is missing, where packaging choices need to change and where responsibilities sit.
The practical question is straightforward: do you know exactly what packaging is being used to get your products to customers, and can you prove that it meets the requirements?