---
title: Introduction to PPWR
description: Learn what the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) means for your business — key obligations, important deadlines, and how Simvia helps you stay compliant.
---
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1. [Help Center](https://helpcenter.simvia.com/knowledge-base?hsLang=en)
2. [PPWR](https://helpcenter.simvia.com/knowledge-base/ppwr?hsLang=en)
# Introduction to PPWR
### What is PPWR?
PPWR stands for the **Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation** - a new EU regulation that came into force in 2025, replacing the older Packaging Directive. It sets binding rules across all 27 EU member states on how packaging must be designed, documented, and managed throughout its life cycle.
In practical terms, PPWR introduces three main obligations for companies:
1. **Design requirements** - minimum recyclability standards, restrictions on unnecessary packaging, and hard limits on harmful substances like PFAS ("forever chemicals") and heavy metals.
2. **Documentation requirements** - before placing packaged products on the EU market, companies must have a technical file and Declaration of Conformity (DoC) proving their packaging meets the regulation.
3. **Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) -** companies pay fees into national schemes that fund packaging collection and recycling. Under PPWR, these fees are increasingly tied to how recyclable your packaging actually is.
PPWR applies to any company placing packaged products on the EU market - not just packaging manufacturers, but the businesses that fill and sell the final product.
---
Key dates
| Date | What changes |
| --- | --- |
| **August 2026** | Article 5 (Heavy Metals and PFAS limits) and Article 11 (Reuse) come into effect |
| **August 2026** | EPR requirements under PPWR begin |
| **February 2027** | Green Dot transitions to QR code labeling |
| **2029** | Deposit return schemes must collect 90% of in-scope containers |
---
#### **What this means in practice**
The biggest shift PPWR introduces isn't the fees - it's the **documentation burden**. Before PPWR, paying into EPR schemes was largely sufficient. Now, companies must actively prove compliance through:
- Packaging specifications and material compositions per component
- PFAS and heavy metals test reports (Certificates of Analysis)
- Supplier declarations confirming material data
- A maintained technical file, audit-ready at any time
Much of this data lives with your suppliers - which means gathering, validating, and keeping it up to date becomes an ongoing process.
---
### Where Simvia fits in
Simvia helps with the parts of PPWR compliance that are most time-intensive: **collecting supplier data and keeping your documentation in order**.
Specifically, Simvia supports you with:
- **Managing your packaging components** - organise components as part of their SKU, including products and ingredients
- **Requesting packaging data from suppliers** - send structured data requests and track what's been received versus what's still missing
- **Storing technical documentation** - keep specifications, test reports, and certificates centralised and accessible
- **Running conformity checks** - automatically flag missing or non-compliant data against PPWR requirements (e.g. PFAS thresholds)
- **Responding to audits quickly** - with documentation in one place, you can respond to authority requests without the scramble
**Note:** Simvia does not cover labeling/marking changes or EPR fee management directly. For those, you'll need dedicated tools or your PRO scheme. Simvia provides the data foundation that feeds into those processes.
---
For more background, visit the [**Simvia PPWR FAQ**](https://www.simvia.com/custom-blogs/ppwr-frequently-asked-questions-101) or the**[PPWR guide for food suppliers](https://www.simvia.com/custom-blogs/ppwr-and-food-suppliers%3A-your-introductory-guide)**.
If you have questions about how Simvia supports your PPWR compliance, reach out to our support team.
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