Products delivered in oversized boxes or packaging containing more air than product: This will soon be history. The upcoming EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) will transform packaging throughout Europe. The regulation’s aim is to significantly reduce waste and its impact on the environment. Design for recycling, packaging minimization and the incorporation of recycled plastic are three key requirements that the regulation places on all new packaging coming to the market starting in 2030. But that’s not all that changes: Reuse quotas, bottle deposit return schemes, and improved waste management systems will significantly impact our shopping experiences and the disposal of our empty products.
Interview
The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR): A transformation to a more sustainable industry
Carsten Bertram, Head of Packaging Sustainability for Henkel Consumer Brands, sheds light on the upcoming regulation and explains the measures Henkel has been taking to adapt.
In this story, you will learn:
- What the goals of the regulation are
- How the regulation will impact packaging
- What the status quo and next steps are for Henkel and the industry
- How companies may save money through the PPWR
- Who will be impacted by the new regulation
- What changes Henkel has already made
- How consumers will notice the new requirements
Carsten, what are the goals of the regulation?
There are two main goals the regulation pursues. The first one is to reduce the amount of packaging and packaging waste we have and the second – as part of the European Green Deal – is to also reduce the impact on the climate. And this is coming by several measures: All packaging entering the market needs to be designed for recycling. Packaging will also need to contain recycled plastic. And there are further requirements like reuse quotas for certain categories like beverages. And there will be packaging minimization requirements. Overall, an exciting program from a consumer’s point of view as it will reduce the impact of packaging and packaging waste on the environment.
Can you share some examples on how reducing waste and getting rid of unnecessary packaging will be achieved?
The best example is the online shopping experience. We, as consumers, sometimes get a purchased product in an oversized box delivered to our home. In the future, the regulation states that there is a maximum empty space of 50 percent allowed in these type of shipping boxes. Another example is product packaging you buy in the supermarket that contains a lot of unnecessary free headspace. This will not be allowed to be placed on the market anymore. Going forward, all producers – whether it's for food, for toys, for non-food products – will need to make the packaging as full as technically possible. In consequence, this means that all packaging is getting smaller – and not only the packaging you buy as a consumer, but also transport packaging which is usually invisible to consumers.
Henkel has a target to have all packs designed for recycling until the end of 2025.
Carsten Bertram, Head of Packaging Sustainability for Henkel Consumer Brands
From 2030 on all packaging must be 100 percent recyclable to be authorized. What is the current status quo and what are the next steps for Henkel and the whole industry?
As of today, Henkel stands at 87 percent for packaging that is designed for recycling. There are still some challenges we have to face, but sometimes these are also challenges we have globally. Looking at the industry in general, there are still packages in the supermarket, that are not recyclable due to reasons like technical performance, quality, hygiene requirements and others. Henkel has a target to have all packs designed for recycling until the end of 2025. We have been working on this for quite a while – as have other industry players.
Going into the future, the industry will have to make more investments. Some of the recyclable solutions may be more expensive. Companies like Henkel have already started investing into mono-material flexible packaging, like the plastic stand-up pouches for dishwashing tablets. In the past, these were made of two different materials which were not compatible with each other, so they could not be recycled. Two years ago, this product packaging for the Somat brand has been redesigned to a full mono-material polyethylene solution which now can be recycled. But in order to do that, we had to invest in new machinery in our factories.
Fritz for Future
on Spotify
What will change with the new EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation? – The PPWR explained
Want to hear more insights from Carsten on how the PPWR will affect industries and customers alike? Listen to the full interview on Fritz for Future, Henkel’s Sustainability Podcast.
Will companies save money through the regulation because they will have to use less materials? In other words, is it a win-win situation for both sides – for the environment and for the industry?
If we look at this holistically, there are parts in the regulation which will, at first, lead to short term investment to transform to recyclable packaging. In many cases, new machines are required. Due to the market situation, prices may also be higher for recycled plastic. But the packaging minimization requirements will help to save costs. Making packaging smaller will save money on packaging and on logistics as fewer trucks will have to go on the road. Where this will balance out at the end – whether it's neutral or whether it's a saving or cost increase – is too early to say because it depends a lot on market dynamics.
Who will be impacted by this new regulation?
Every industry will be impacted. It’s a lot of bureaucracy and every company is challenged to handle the needed amount of documentation. There are some industries which are more challenged. An example is the luxury business. When we talk about luxury and think about packaging, we are always talking about the unboxing experience. Imagine you have a small perfume bottle which was packed inside a nice-looking carton and that was packed in another bigger one. The entire experience on luxury was based on enormous amount of packaging material used. Often also design for recycling was not considered for luxury packaging. So, especially this industry will need to reinvent itself because this type of oversized – what in the past was called luxurious – packaging won't be there in the future.
It's a step-by-step approach. Consumers will notice it here and there, but the bigger change will only be noticed over a longer period of time because brands like Henkel are already moving today.
Carsten Bertram, Head of Packaging Sustainability for Henkel Consumer Brands
What changes will Henkel have to make?
We already started before the PPWR came out, thinking about what kind of transformations are needed for our packaging to become more circular. And a great example is our Persil bottle. You might remember, a few years ago, the bottles for the liquid laundry detergent on the shelves were transparent and you could see the liquid for the different variants inside. And at that time, we used a packaging material, that didn’t allow us to incorporate recycled plastic. About two years ago, we changed the material to high-density polyethylene, incorporating 50 percent recycled plastic. Since then, the bottles are white. Because for recycled plastic out of polyethylene – you do not find a highly transparent material on the market. But there’s always “whitish” available. Therefore, we decided to switch the brand aesthetics. I'm super proud that we made this bold move and showed that also brands like Persil are willing to make such transformations and change the entire brand aesthetics to incorporate a high amount of recycled plastic.
As consumers, we all go to supermarkets or drugstores. How will we notice the new regulation when we look at the shelves?
The first change you will see in many markets will be the deposit return schemes: You will have to bring your bottles back to the supermarkets – a concept familiar to many in Germany and other markets. This will become the new norm for beverages. You will also notice more reuse examples, and more refill stations. What we're also anticipating is that we will see a little bit less of extreme customization on shelf. Due to design for recycling requirements packaging is getting more standardized. Of course, the printing can still be very much customized, but certain packaging formats we will no longer see. But the shift will happen gradually. It's a step-by-step approach. Consumers will notice it here and there, but the bigger change will only be noticed over a longer period of time because brands like Henkel are already moving today.
CIRCULAR ECONOMY
TURNING END OF LINE INTO NEW BEGINNINGS
Everyone is talking about it: the circular economy. Packaging materials like plastic have many advantages, but their omnipresence has created a new set of challenges for us. How can we promote a responsible use of plastic within a circular economy and combat the problem of plastic waste through recycling?
