{"id":2693,"date":"2026-10-27T10:38:11","date_gmt":"2026-10-27T09:38:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hubrise.it\/?p=2693"},"modified":"2026-10-27T10:38:13","modified_gmt":"2026-10-27T09:38:13","slug":"ppwr-for-ecommerce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hubrise.it\/en\/blog\/ppwr-for-ecommerce\/","title":{"rendered":"PPWR for ecommerce: what changes for packaging and shipping from 12 August 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

The PPWR<\/strong> has been operational for two months. The new European packaging regulation<\/strong> , i.e. Regulation (EU) 2025\/40<\/strong>, has applied since 12 August 2026 (EUR-Lex<\/strong><\/a>) and changes the way every box leaving the warehouse is designed, documented and filled. For those who sell online, the parcel is the only packaging the customer always sees, and in the ecommerce logistics<\/strong><\/a> model it passes through the hands of several parties before reaching its destination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What the PPWR is and why it concerns those who ship online<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

PPWR stands for Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation. It replaces the old Directive 94\/62\/EC and aims to reduce packaging waste, make everything placed on the market recyclable and push reuse where it makes sense. For ecommerce the point of contact is direct, because the text explicitly namesecommerce packaging<\/strong><\/a>, the packaging used to ship the product to the end consumer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From directive to regulation: the same rules in all 27 EU countries<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The difference between a directive and a regulation is not a detail for lawyers. A directive must be transposed by each State through a national law, and so over the years different rules have accumulated on labels, contributions and definitions. The PPWR regulation<\/strong> , instead, applies directly and in the same way throughout the Union. For those who sell in several countries, this means that a box that is compliant in Italy will also be compliant in Germany or France, even though for now some national rules coexist pending the implementing acts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Manufacturer, supplier, distributor: the roles in the ecommerce supply chain<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The regulation distributes obligations according to role. The manufacturer is whoever produces the packaging, or the packaged product, and markets it under its own name; the importer brings packaging into the EU from third countries; the distributor makes it available on the market without modifying it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A D2C brand that signs the packaging of its product and then places it in a box for shipping can have several roles at the same time, so the first exercise is to map them, packaging by packaging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is already mandatory from 12 August 2026<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Not all obligations kicked in on 12 August. The guidelines published by the European Commission<\/strong><\/a> help to distinguish them, although they are not legally binding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Declaration of conformity and technical documentation<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

First of all, according to the guidelines, packaging placed on the market must be accompanied by an EU declaration of conformity and by technical documentation supporting it. In practice, the manufacturer must be able to demonstrate that the material meets the requirements of the regulation. For an ecommerce business, this means asking suppliers of cardboard, mailers and void fill for their declaration and keeping it, and preparing its own declaration for the packaging it signs with its brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Restricted substances<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The limits on heavy metals in packaging and the ban on PFAS above the thresholds set for food-contact packaging are already in force. Those who ship food gifting or supplements must therefore also check the primary packaging, not just the outer box.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

EPR registration and data on packaging placed on the market<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Extended producer responsibility remains: those who place packaging on the market must be registered in the producer register and report quantities by material. In Italy the reference remains the CONAI system and the material consortia, pending the harmonised register format that the Commission has yet to adopt. Those who make distance sales to other Member States must also check registration obligations there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Logistics ready for the new packaging rules<\/strong><\/h2><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Discover Hubrise ecommerce logistics<\/div><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The next deadlines: from 2028 to 2030<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The most demanding deadlines for those who ship online are further away, but they affect formats, suppliers and material stocks and must be prepared in good time:<\/p>\n\n\n\n