PPWR: What the EU Packaging Directive means for beverages

The new EUPackaging Regulation, or PPWR for short, is Regulation (EU) 2025/40. It has been in force since 11 February 2025 and has applied since 12 August 2026. On the same day, the Packaging Law Implementation Act (VerpackDG) replaced the previous Packaging Act in Germany. According to the Federal Ministry for the Environment, the changes will hardly be noticeable to consumers – but they will be felt by manufacturers, retailers and the catering industry. Here is what the PPWR means for drinks, cans and PET bottles.

The timetable at a glance

Most of the obligations will come into force on 12 August 2026; some articles have longer transition periods.

Who is affected?

The PPWR is aimed at all economic operators along the supply chain – from producers, through suppliers, importers and distributors, to final distributors and fulfilment service providers. The key roles, according to the DIHK guidance note, are:

• Producer: any person who manufactures packaging or packaged products, or who has them manufactured under their own name or brand. In the case of micro-enterprises, the supplier of the packaging may, in certain circumstances, be regarded as the producer.
• Manufacturer: any person who places packaging or packaged products on the market for the first time in a Member State – including through distance selling.
• Final distributor: anyone who supplies packaged products to end consumers, such as retailers.

The Regulation provides for exemptions for manufacturers who place no more than 10 tonnes of packaging on the market for the first time in a Member State each year.

Deposit: Cans will be subject to a deposit scheme across the EU

By 2029, all Member States must introduce deposit and return schemes for single-use plastic beverage bottles and single-use metal beverage containers with a capacity of up to three litres. The aim is to collect at least 90 per cent of this packaging by weight separately each year. The deposit is collected at the stockist; exceptions are only permitted under certain conditions.

Germany already has this system in place. According to Deutscher Pfandsystem GmbH (DPG), the PPWR expressly contains grandfathering provisions for established systems; in this country, around 20 billion items of packaging pass through the deposit scheme each year, with return rates of 96 per cent and above. Section 46 of the Packaging Act (VerpackDG) stipulates a deposit of at least 0.25 euros per single-use beverage container; the exceptions – for example, for juices, wine or milk – do not apply to beverage cans. You can find out what this means for returns on our page ‘Why cans?’.

Recyclability and recycled material

• Recyclable from 2030: Packaging must be designed to be suitable for recycling. From 1 January 2030, a minimum requirement of 70 per cent will apply; from 2038, only performance levels A or B (at least 80 per cent) will be permitted. The European Commission will set the criteria by 2028.
• Recycled content in PET bottles: Single-use plastic beverage bottles must contain at least 30 per cent recycled content across the EU from 2030 and at least 65 per cent from 2040. In Germany, according to the Packaging Act (VerpackDG), the requirement is already 25 per cent for single-use PET bottles, rising to at least 30 per cent from 2030.
• Less packaging: From 2030, weight and volume are to be reduced to the minimum necessary; outer packaging, transport packaging and dispatch packaging must not contain more than 50 per cent empty space.
• Declaration of conformity: Packaging manufacturers must declare that their packaging complies with the requirements of the PPWR – initially regarding its properties and constituents, and from 2030 onwards also regarding its recycled content and recyclability.

For aluminium and ferrous metals, the recycling rate that dual systems in Germany must achieve will rise by five percentage points to 95 per cent from 2028. Single-use beverage containers subject to a deposit are exempt from participation in dual systems.

Reusable: Quotas for drinks

The PPWR sets targets for reusable packaging: from 2030, at least 10 per cent of beverage packaging must be reusable; the DIHK information sheet sets a target of 40 per cent for 2040; there are exceptions for certain types of packaging. According to the Federal Ministry for the Environment, this means that, from 2030, final distributors with more than 100 m² of retail space must offer 10 per cent of the drinks they sell in reusable packaging; wine and spirits are exempt.

Germany has set its sights higher: the VerpackDG aims for at least 70 per cent of drinks to be sold in reusable packaging and has this figure assessed annually. In 2021, the figure stood at 42.6 per cent in the beverage segments subject to a deposit scheme.

What the retail and catering sectors need to know

• Key point: Businesses selling food and drink to take away must allow customers to bring their own containers at no extra charge. Information on this will be compulsory from 2027.
• Refill stations: Stockists with a floor area of over 400 m² are to set aside at least 10 per cent of their floor space for refilling from 2030 onwards.
• Labelling in-store: Single-use packaging subject to a deposit must be labelled ‘EINWEG’ on the shelf, whilst reusable packaging must be labelled ‘MEHRWEG’ – the same applies to the online shop.
• Authorisation: Under the PPWR, all organisations that assume producer responsibility on behalf of several producers require authorisation; producers without such an organisation must apply for individual authorisation from the Central Packaging Register.
• Prevention: Manufacturers, dual systems and other organisations responsible for producer responsibility must take measures to prevent packaging waste and report on these measures.

What remains to be done

Many details are only set out in implementing and delegated acts, such as the criteria for recyclability or standardised labelling. The European Commission intends to publish guidelines on calculating reusable targets by early 2027. And adjustments are already being made: in December 2025, the Commission proposed in its Environment Omnibus to suspend the obligation to appoint an authorised representative for direct sales, in order to ease the burden on small businesses. EU Member States must also reduce per capita packaging waste compared with 2018: by at least 5 per cent by 2030, 10 per cent by 2035 and 15 per cent by 2040.

And what about ACQUA REAPER?

All our drinks come in 330 ml cans, with a one-way deposit of 0.25 euros per can. For retailers, the hospitality sector and wholesalers, we’re happy to answer any questions about deposits and labelling directly – please get in touch via the contact page. To find out why we’ve chosen cans and what critics have to say, see ‘Why Cans?’, and for everything you need to know about microplastics, see our guide ‘Microplastics: Bottle, Glass or Can’.

This overview does not constitute legal advice. Regulation (EU) 2025/40 and the Packaging Act (VerpackDG), as amended, shall prevail.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

1. ACQUA REAPER: Product specifications, 14 September 26.
2. European Commission, Directorate-General for the Environment: Packaging waste (Regulation (EU) 2025/40), accessed 16 September 2026. environment.ec.europa.eu
3. Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Protection, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN): European Packaging Regulation comes into force today (Press release No. 097/26), 12 August 26. bundesumweltministerium.de
4. Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Protection, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN): FAQs on single-use and reusable items, as at 22 January 2025. bundesumweltministerium.de
5. German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (DIHK): Information sheet: The new European Packaging Regulation – Regulation (EU) 2025/40, accessed 16 September 2026. dihk.de
6. Deutsche Pfandsystem GmbH (DPG): Protecting the German deposit system: amendments to the draft Packaging Implementation Act are necessary, 13 January 2026. dpg-pfandsystem.de
7. Federal Law Gazette 2026 I No. 207: Packaging Law Implementation Act (VerpackDG), Sections 11, 44–47, published on 17 July 26. recht.bund.de
8. Federal Environment Agency: Proportion of drinks in reusable packaging has fallen slightly, 19 February 2024. umweltbundesamt.de