Pallets, Crates and Containers Are Now Regulated Packaging — And the Paperwork Has Already Started
Published on 09/30/2026 at 17:50 | Editorial boerse-global.de
Since 12 August 2026, the EU's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) has been in force, and for the first time it sweeps transport packaging — pallets, containers and other logistics load carriers — into the same regulatory net as the boxes and film that consumers see.
Brussels wants every piece of packaging placed on the EU market to be 100% recyclable or reusable by 2030. For logistics operators, that translates into a sweeping overhaul of how load carriers are documented and managed.
What companies now have to prove
Under the new rules, businesses must reassess their supply chains with regard to packaging materials. Logistics provider CHEP says market participants will have to establish ownership arrangements, assign responsibilities and guarantee end-to-end traceability. That covers detailed data on where transport equipment comes from, how it is used, how it is reused and how it is ultimately disposed of.
In a pooling model of the kind CHEP operates, pallets stay the property of the provider, which also handles returns, repairs and the associated data management.
The Koblenz Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK Koblenz) points out that the PPWR poses particular difficulties for small and medium-sized businesses. Some obligations remain unclear, it says, while practical implementation is already generating considerable effort and extra costs.
New requirements are being phased in for nearly every category of packaging along the supply chain, and shipping packaging is explicitly included.
Master data moves to centre stage
Material use, package size and the reduction of empty space sit at the heart of the regulation. Meeting those targets puts reliable master data for products and packed items in a far more important position than before.
Measurement specialist AKL-tec notes that automated dimensioning of parcels and pallets can help build packaging that fits precisely, cutting material consumption and CO? emissions. The resulting data can be fed into existing ERP and shipping systems.
Alongside this, the Central Agency for Packaging Register (ZSVR) and the German Environment Agency (UBA) have published the 2026 minimum standard for assessing design for recycling. It defines the share of weight that can actually be recovered, expressed as a percentage.
From 2030, packaging will generally need to be at least 70% recyclable to be placed on the market. Until a definitive EU calculation method exists, the German standard serves as guidance and acts as a transitional instrument under the German Packaging Act (VerpackDG).
Software and consolidation
Digital management systems are moving into focus as a way to handle the documentation load. COSYS presented a container management solution that records load carrier handovers with carriers digitally, capturing type, quantity and returns, with serial-numbered carriers individually identifiable.
Separate accounts for customers, suppliers and freight forwarders are intended to make stock levels transparent and states such as "damaged" or "empty" traceable.
The automation and specialist packaging market is responding too. Element Logic and Ranpak formed a strategic global partnership to embed packaging automation in warehouse solutions, aiming to cut shipping volume and material use so customers can meet EU requirements.
In temperature-controlled logistics, German provider eutecma acquired North American competitor Tempaid. Combining large-format transport systems with validated packaging is meant to produce solutions for the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors.
The distance-selling bottleneck
Standardisation efforts have not erased political friction. Article 17 of EU Regulation 2025/40 requires companies to appoint an authorised representative for extended producer responsibility in every member state where they sell by distance selling. According to reports, numerous firms have stopped delivering within the EU single market because of this bureaucratic hurdle.
EU Commissioner Jessika Roswall is pushing for a solution by mid-October 2026. The Commission and the European Parliament appear open to changes, while the Council is currently seen as the brake. An earlier Commission proposal from December 2025 would have suspended the obligation until 2035, whereas Parliament in June 2026 backed an exemption only for micro and small enterprises.
