How to Get PPWR-Ready Without Turning Compliance Into Chaos

With the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) enforcement due on 12 August 2026, brands and manufacturers face a practical challenge: how to consistently prove that packaging meets legal requirements.

Step 1: Know What You’re Assessing

Start by mapping every packaging type you use, from primary packaging to transport cartons and e-commerce wraps. Organise these into logical groups based on material, format, and use.

This clarity helps avoid gaps later when you issue Declarations of Conformity (DoCs).

Step 2: Centralise Your Specifications

The real work behind compliance isn’t the declaration itself, it’s gathering the data that supports it. Collect all relevant specs:

• Material sheets
• Supplier statements
• Drawings and bill of materials
• Lab tests or recyclability assessments

Digitising this info (rather than storing it in PDFs and Excel files) makes it easier to track and update when packaging changes.

Step 3: Do the Conformity Assessment

For every packaging family, assess key PPWR criteria:

• Recyclability under EU standards
• Minimisation of unnecessary material
• Compliance with material and format restrictions

Record how you tested or calculated compliance, this becomes the backbone of your technical documentation.

Step 4: Create the Declaration of Conformity

Each DoC needs essential elements:

• A unique identifier
• Clear packaging description
• Manufacturer details and statement of responsibility
• Reference to PPWR regulations
• Evidence sources (test methods, standards)
• Date, signature, and traceability info

➡️ Download our ready-to-use Declaration of Conformity template here and document your PPWR assessment efficiently.

Step 5: Maintain Long-Term Records

Pro Tips for Smooth Compliance

• Assign clear responsibilities (e.g., QA or regulatory team)
• Link packaging changes to DoC review triggers
• Use dashboards so you know which packaging is still missing declarations

With a digitised packaging management system, compliance preparation becomes far simpler: all material specs, supplier certificates, and Declarations of Conformity are structured, searchable, and instantly accessible.

Learn more about digital packaging management.