Introduction to PPWR
Overview
The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) changes what you need to know about every piece of packaging you place on the EU market. This section explains what the regulation is, which packaging it covers, who is responsible, and how the whole compliance process fits together in kolum. Read it before you set up data or run applicability checks, because every later page builds on the ideas introduced here.
In this section
- What PPWR is and why it exists. The purpose of the regulation and the shift from a directive to one directly applicable EU rulebook.
- Packaging and products in scope. Why all packaging is covered, the packaging categories, and how classification works.
- Who must comply. Manufacturers, importers, distributors, and producers, and how your activities decide your roles.
- The compliance flow, end to end. The full journey in kolum, from company applicability to per-unit conformity and declarations.
- Key terms. A glossary of the words this documentation and the regulation use.
The regulation, in one link
ℹ️ PPWR is Regulation (EU) 2025/40 on packaging and packaging waste. It replaces the 1994 Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (94/62/EC) and is directly applicable in every EU member state, with general application from 12 August 2026: Regulation (EU) 2025/40 on EUR-Lex.
Wherever a field or step in kolum exists because the regulation requires it, this documentation says so and links the relevant part of the law. The goal is to help you operate confidently. It is a working aid, not legal advice; the English Official Journal text is authoritative.