PPWR labeling rules delayed

The European Commission has pushed back the implementation of harmonized labeling rules under the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) to the second quarter of 2027, and confirmed that adoption will include a public consultation.

The rules are meant to help consumers sort packaging waste, identify reusable packaging and packaging covered by deposit return systems, and spot recycled and bio-based content. The Commission intends to adopt implementing rules on harmonized pictograms and labeling specifications for packaging and for waste receptacles. Its Joint Research Centre published a proposed harmonized waste-sorting label system in January, which takes a material-based approach.

On Pack Recycling Label (OPRL), a UK-based non-profit certification scheme whose on-pack recycling label is used by more than 750 members including Amazon EU, Aldi UK, Aptar, Amcor, Carlsberg, Constantia Flexibles, Coveris, Huhtamaki and Unilever, welcomed the consultation and asked for more clarity on implementation. It said it would update its labeling tool for members once the details are final.

OPRL is concerned that producers will have only two years to correct their labeling once the implementing act comes into play in 2027, while also facing a phased move to recyclable formats and recycled-content requirements. 'The two-year window [after the labeling rules come into effect] for changing label designs will be extremely challenging, especially for those producers with extensive product ranges. We do not yet know whether the deadline refers to packaging on-shelf or in production, but OPRL is advising members to start preparing as soon as possible,' said Jude Allan, managing director of OPRL.

The organization advises producers to understand the full composition of their packaging, not only the basic materials, and to clarify which countries they trade in so they can prepare for any country-specific requirements. It expects UK businesses trading in the EU to face challenges from the expanding rules, including those on secondary and tertiary packaging, and says any business trading in Northern Ireland is expected to apply the PPWR labels under the Windsor Framework. The UK is expected to follow the EU with its own system, and OPRL anticipates that UK packaging extended producer responsibility labels will align with the EU's.