For packaging companies and the millions of companies worldwide that rely on them, the 2020s have been defined by regulation changes.
With key legislation like the UK’s extended producer responsibility (EPR) reforms and the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) now in force, many companies might think that marks the end of the story. But we in the packaging industry – particularly those of us who work with sustainable packaging and flexible plastic materials, like Parkside – know that isn’t the case.
The new wave of regulation is just that – a wave. It’s something fluid that moves and evolves over time. In the case of PPWR, for example, this change is built in, with deadlines for new measures and incremental targets that increase every five years.
This isn’t the end of the packaging regulation story; it’s just the beginning of a new chapter. The key to success is ensuring your packaging can adapt to the challenges of tomorrow as well as the market of today.
Understanding the waste hierarchy: Your key to compliance
While packaging legislation is a huge and varied topic, new laws are generally driven by one broad guiding principle: The waste hierarchy.
This puts end-of-life outcomes into a tiered list that prioritises waste prevention first, followed by reuse, recycling, recovery, and then disposal. This is why material reduction remains one of the most important levers for packaging compliance. Using fewer materials without compromising product protection is often the most efficient way to reduce environmental impact.
Flexible packaging has an important role to play here. Its lightweight format, high product-to-pack ratio, and efficient transport profile can support material reduction across a wide range of applications. However, material efficiency is only one part of the picture. As regulations become more sophisticated, packaging must also be assessed according to how it is collected, sorted, recycled, composted, or otherwise recovered after use.
This is where the compliance challenge becomes more complex. New regulations are focused on actual outcomes rather than sustainability claims. A pack may be technically recyclable, but if the right collection and recycling infrastructure is not available at scale, its real-world recyclability will be limited. Any packaging designed for the next wave of compliance challenges must therefore be designed for both performance and reality.
The UK: Plastic Packaging Tax, data, and recyclability level up
In the UK, businesses are already operating under the Plastic Packaging Tax, which adds a fee to every tonne of plastic packaging components made with less than 30% recycled content. At the same time, EPR for packaging is changing how the cost of packaging waste is allocated.
Under EPR, producers are expected to contribute more directly to the cost of managing packaging after use. Fees are also being shaped around recyclability, with packaging that is easier to recycle expected to face lower charges than formats that are difficult to collect, sort, or process. While businesses are still getting to grips with the reality of EPR, more changes are being planned. Notably, the modulated fees are continually shifting, meaning businesses need to keep their innovation pipelines flexible in order to adapt quickly.
The future may also bring new categories. The government is expected to target bulky waste in the future, a category that can include large packaging products used to ship furniture and white goods.
This creates a clear incentive for better design. It also places greater pressure on businesses to understand their packaging data in detail. Material composition, recycled content, recyclability assessment, supply chain documentation, and labelling accuracy are all becoming central compliance requirements. And the importance of reducing the amount of packaging material used in each solution means flexible packaging is strategically vital for businesses going forward.
For those already using flexible packaging, the UK’s move towards household collection of plastic films and bags from 2027 is a significant development. It strengthens the long-term case for recyclable flexible formats, while also highlighting the need to design packaging that aligns with the infrastructure being built.
The EU: PPWR compliance, constant evolution, and broader transparency
The EU’s PPWR is one of the most important regulatory developments facing the packaging sector in Europe and across the world. Its aim is to make packaging more circular, reduce waste, improve recyclability, and increase the use of recycled materials.
For businesses looking to sell products to half a billion consumers in the EU single market, the direction is clear: Packaging will need to be designed with recyclability, material minimisation, labelling, and substance restrictions in mind. It will also increase the need for reliable documentation. Claims about recyclability, recycled content, compostability, or material origin will need to be supported by evidence.
This is particularly important for brands using language such as “plastic-free”, “bio-based”, “compostable”, or “recyclable”. These terms can be useful, but they can also create confusion if they do not reflect the technical reality of the pack; confusion which, under PPWR, comes with penalties. A paper-based flexible pack, for example, may require a functional coating to provide moisture, oxygen, grease, or heat-seal performance. That coating may be essential to product protection, but it may also affect how the pack is classified, recycled, or communicated.
PPWR is also designed to constantly evolve incrementally over the next few decades. Its recycled content and waste reduction targets, for example, increase every five years to ensure businesses continue to innovate sustainably. Through 2027-28, the European Commission is required to carry out a major technical review of the viability of bio-based plastic packaging, which will have a major impact on compostable packaging. The current direction set by PPWR is heavily focused on recycling; this could change following the outcome of the review.
While the destination is clear, the way there is still uncertain, and brands need to be ready to adapt.
Chemicals, coatings, and material responsibility
Alongside recyclability and recycled content, regulators across the world are paying closer attention to substances of concern. Restrictions around PFAS – also known as forever chemicals – alongside greater scrutiny of coatings and adhesives, and supply chain due diligence requirements are all becoming more important as regulations take shape.
This does not mean packaging innovation should slow down, far from it. The future of material choices depends on a more proactive, agile approach, requiring a high level of technical expertise to execute. Barrier performance, food safety, seal integrity, shelf life, and packing line efficiency cannot be compromised, as a sustainable pack that fails in use is not a sustainable pack at all. Damaged products, food waste, leakage, or poor shelf life often carry a greater environmental cost than the packaging itself – something brands should not lose sight of.
The task is to balance these priorities. Recyclable monomaterial structures, paper-based flexible packaging, certified compostable materials, and recycled-content solutions all have a place. The right answer depends on the product, market, supply chain, performance requirements, and available end-of-life route.
Turning legislation into opportunity
Packaging legislation is becoming stricter and more challenging to deal with, but it is also creating a clearer roadmap for innovation. The brands that respond now will be better placed to manage cost exposure, protect consumer trust, and build packaging portfolios that are fit for the circular economy of the future.
At Parkside, we help customers navigate this complexity with practical, application-led expertise. Our work across recyclable, paper-based, compostable, lightweight, and recycled-content flexible packaging is built around a simple principle – sustainability must perform in the real world.
The next wave of packaging legislation is already here, and it will continue to evolve for years to come. Our flexible packaging expertise and extensive portfolio create more possibilities for your packaging, and exploring these possibilities is the key to your future success.
Get in touch with our flexible packaging experts today to discuss your needs.
