The EU's new packaging and packaging waste regulation (PPWR, Regulation (EU) 2025/40) will start to apply on August 12, 2026. The regulation gradually brings into force new requirements for packaging and clarifies companies' responsibilities in the supply chain.
As a distributor of pharmaceutical and healthcare products, Tamro is monitoring the progress of the regulation and its impacts on the industry's supply chain. The changes will broadly affect companies that manufacture, import, package, distribute, or place packaged products on the EU market.
What does extended producer responsibility mean?
Extended producer responsibility means that those who place packaging on the market are responsible at the national level for the packaging of their products even at the end of their life cycle. In practice, this includes financing the waste management and recycling of packaging and reporting packaging information to the producer community.
In Finland, producer responsibility for packaging is managed by producer communities, such as Finnish Packaging Producers Ltd and Sumi Ltd. As a member of the producer community, a company must ensure the reporting of packaging information as well as the payment of recycling fees based on reporting.
The regulation introduces two key sets of obligations
The impacts of the PPWR regulation are divided into two areas: producer responsibility obligations and product requirements for packaging.
- Producer responsibility obligations: A company must identify its role in the supply chain, ensure the fulfillment of its producer responsibility, report packaging information, and pay the recycling fees related to the obligations.
- Product requirements for packaging: In the future, only packaging that meets the requirements of the regulation may be placed on the market. These requirements include, among other things, restricted substances, recyclability, compostability, minimization of packaging, labeling, and demonstrating compliance with EU requirements.
Regulations will be supplemented and guidance will be refined
Implementing regulations and detailed guidance complementing the PPWR regulation will be published later this year and in the coming years. Companies are advised to follow the authorities' guidance and ensure in good time how the new obligations will affect their own packaging, reporting, and supply chain responsibilities.
Tamro supports packaging information reporting
Tamro can provide annual reporting on packaging on behalf of the customer as a service. Additionally, Tamro can assist in defining product-specific packaging information, such as materials and weights. More information about the service can be obtained from your key account manager.
Useful links
Packaging and packaging waste regulation (PPWR 2025/40): Regulation - EU - 2025/40 - EN - PPWR - EUR-Lex, L_202500040FI.000101.fmx.xml
In Finland, the producer responsibility for packaging is supervised by Lupa- ja valvontavirasto, Finnish Supervisory Agency:
Frontpage - Finnish Supervisory Agency
Tietoa tuottajavastuusta - Lupa- ja valvontavirasto
Market surveillance of packaging is carried out by the Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency (TUKES), Packaging and packaging waste | Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency (Tukes)
Producer responsibility organizations for packaging and packaging waste:
Sumi Oy: https://sumi.fi/en/home
Suomen Pakkaustuottajat Oy: Finnish Packaging Producers Ltd | Producer packaging responsibility services for the specific needs of your business