Environmental protection vs. reality: Klingele answers the most important questions about the European packaging regulation PPWR

What does the PPWR Regulation aim to achieve?

The EU Commission wants to improve the sustainability of packaging by setting requirements for the avoidance of excessive packaging, reusability and recycling as well as disposal.

Which requirements of the new EU packaging regulation affect the corrugated board industry?

As part of the PPWR, reusable quotas are planned for various types of packaging. This means that a certain proportion of packaging must consist of reusable containers. According to the regulation, sustainable solutions made of Wellpappe would only have limited use in the areas of "e-commerce" and "large household appliances".

Why are the reusable quotas in the EU packaging regulation a problem?

The planned quotas in e-commerce and for large household appliances are detrimental to the environmental impact of packaging. In a study1 , the Society for Packaging Market Research (GVM) found that the regulation will require an additional 114 kilotonnes of reusable packaging to be produced annually by 2040, while the amount of packaging made from Wellpappe will decrease. This means that sustainable solutions will be restricted and, at the same time, more plastic and microplastics will be put into circulation, which will harm the environment and our health. Further consequences: the doubling of transport kilometres and the increase in storage space required - and therefore more costs for you as a packaging customer.

What are the advantages of Wellpappe as a material for transport packaging for large appliances and e-commerce?

Packaging made from Wellpappe is made from paper fibres and therefore from naturally renewable raw materials. This material can be recycled at least up to twenty-five times and is then almost completely biodegradable. Packaging from the German corrugated cardboard industry already contains over 80 per cent recycled paper. This makes them exemplary circular products that are customised for individual purposes. This means that transport and storage space is better utilised - a big plus for the eco-balance of packaging, which is undermined by the PPWR regulation.

What is our proposal?

In the current draft of the regulation, there are already exemptions for other types of packaging that may continue to use paper, cardboard and cartons, e.g. secondary packaging, pallets, crates and folding cartons. Instead of imposing blanket quotas, functioning recycling systems such as packaging made from sustainable Wellpappe should be preserved.