Key issues regarding the future of European packaging regulation were discussed at the pro-K industry association during the Logimat 2026 intralogistics trade fair in Stuttgart.

Under the title “PPWR and other EU regulations – a curse or a blessing?”, high-ranking representatives from environmental authorities, industry and European interest groups exchanged views on the implications of the EU Packaging Regulation (PPWR) at the Expert Forum of the pro-K Industrieverband langlebige Kunststoffprodukte und Mehrwegsysteme (Industry Association for Durable Plastic Products and Reusable Systems). According to the association, there was consensus that the PPWR, through its clear focus on reuse, opens up significant opportunities for the circular economy. At the same time, there is a risk that established and sustainable reusable applications – particularly in the area of storage and transport containers – could be disadvantaged in the specific implementation.
 
According to pro-K, Dr Ines Oehme from the Umweltbundesamt (Federal Environment Agency, UBA) kicked off the proceedings. She emphasised that the PPWR defines comprehensive requirements across the entire life cycle of packaging for the first time – from waste prevention through reuse and recyclability to recycled content and labelling requirements. The aim was to align consistently with the waste hierarchy in order to sustainably strengthen resource efficiency and the circular economy in Europe. At the same time, Oehme highlighted existing challenges: whilst Germany has already achieved its reduction target for packaging waste by 2030, meeting the more ambitious targets for 2040 remains uncertain. In particular, bottlenecks were emerging in the use of recycled materials, as rising demand is meeting limited capacity.
 
According to pro-K, it became clear in the subsequent panel discussion that the direction of the PPWR enjoys broad support. However, practical implementation that enables innovation and strengthens functioning reusable systems is said to be crucial. Kate O’Brien from the Brussels-based Association of European Manufacturers of Reusable Plastic Containers, Trays and Pallets (Roundtable for Reusable Containers, Trays and Pallets, RCTP) emphasised that reusable packaging, through its multiple uses – in some cases over 100 cycles – offers significant environmental benefits and replaces numerous single-use alternatives over its lifetime. At the same time, regulatory ambiguities remained, for example regarding the definition of reusability. It was unclear, for instance, how many cycles a product must undergo to be considered reusable. Dirk Bansemer, Managing Director of the Euro Plant Trays (EPT) project, which aims to replace single-use plant trays with a reusable pool system, presented a concrete example of how the requirements of the PPWR can be implemented in practice. Given that around 150 million single-use trays are used annually in Germany alone, there was great potential here for scalable reusable solutions, said Bansemer.
 
In its summary of the Expert Forum, pro-K states: The PPWR provides important impetus for greater sustainability, but successful implementation requires clear, practical regulations as well as targeted political support for circular systems.
 
In the picture (from left to right): Kate O’Brien (RCTP), Dirk Bansemer (EPT)
 
Sources:

• pro-K press release (in German) (26.3.2026)
• Photo: © pro-K