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kp’s sustainable innovations: supporting customers in the PPWR era

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The European packaging industry is about to change for good.


That’s because of the EU’s new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which represents the most significant shake-up of European sustainability legislation in a generation. The wide-reaching new laws, introduced with the ultimate aim of reducing packaging waste, will impact most businesses that operate within the EU market in some way, no matter where they are based. But, as one of the world’s leading plastic packaging manufacturers, kp is uniquely qualified to help guide your business through these seismic changes.

If you’d like to hear from our experts directly or request a sales call, visit our dedicated PPWR resource page. Alternatively, read on for an introduction to the ways kp can support your business through 2025 and beyond.

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As one of the world’s leading plastic packaging manufacturers, kp is uniquely qualified to help guide your business through these seismic changes.

What is PPWR?


PPWR is made up of a series of measures designed to reduce packaging waste. It aims to do this by incentivising an approach to packaging which is minimalist and design for recycling (DfR)-led, and by restricting certain categories of single-use plastics, while also implementing a harmonised, EU-wide extended producer responsibility (EPR) policy.

While the exact DfR guidelines have yet to be confirmed (the EU has committed to publishing these by 2028), a number of critical targets have been. These include:

  • PPWR officially comes into force in December 2024
  • Businesses and member states have 18 months to ensure compliance with EPR fees, meaning enforcement begins in mid-2026
  • Countries must ensure 65% of all packaging is recycled by 2025
  • Total amount of packaging used must be reduced by 5% by 2030
  • All packaging must be DfR compliant, with a recycling score of A-C before 2030
  • PCR content targets will be introduced from 2030
  • Deposit return systems for plastic bottles and metal beverage containers to be set up by 2029
  • Recycling at scale targets will be introduced from 2035

In most cases, these targets increase incrementally every five years. For example, the packaging reduction targets increase to 10% by 2035, and 15% by 2040.

Also, PPWR’s status as a ‘regulation’ rather than a ‘directive’ (as in the existing Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive) means it is legally binding across every member state that operates under EU law. Directives set a legally required end goal but give each member state a degree of flexibility in how they reach it. Regulations are legally enforceable in their entirety and become part of a member state’s national law. Any business wishing to operate in any EU member state must abide by these laws.

What does PPWR mean for your business?

In short, PPWR means three things. Businesses will have to:
  • Minimise the amount of packaging they use
  • Ensure that any packaging they do produce is as recyclable as possible
  • Ensure that packaging uses recycled content wherever possible
At kp, we’re committed to guiding our partners and customers through these changes while minimising operational disruption wherever possible. That means we’ve already developed an effective roadmap to help our customers get ahead of the introduction of PPWR targets.

100% of our packaging solutions have a recyclable alternative in our portfolio. We have increased the number of products made from a single type of plastic and we are collaborating with select partners to improve collection, sorting, and recycling infrastructure to minimise the waste our facilities send to landfill.

Some products, such as the kp rXPS range of protein trays, already contain up to 50% PCR content and we’ve been manufacturing high quality MAP trays with up to 100% recycled post-consumer PET (rPET) for years.

Our kp Tray2Tray® initiative is focused on increasing the supply of rPET material coming from used PET trays. Demonstrating our commitment to closing the packaging loop, at least 30% of recycled material in our PET trays and rigid films will include our kp Tray2Tray® material by 2025. This involves working closely with our customers and suppliers to continually increase the use of tray flake material in line with demand for PET trays. In addition, kp also recently launched the market's first food packaging trays comprising 100% rPET derived exclusively from trays.

We don’t view the above as targets we need to reach – as a business with sustainability ingrained into its core, this roadmap represents our minimum goals. Where it’s possible to push the envelope further and overachieve or accelerate our targets, we’ll happily do so. Because while the introduction of PPWR will result in some challenges, it will also present tremendous opportunities for businesses that are ready to take them.

It's a point of pride for us that our roadmap has our customers ready to seize those opportunities ahead of schedule.

To learn more about how our trays, rigid films, and flexible solutions can help your business flourish in the PPWR era, click here to see the kp experts deliver insights from the floor of FachPack 2024.