Data-driving the PPWR: Avery Dennison talks harmonization ahead of EU packaging revisions

18 Aug 2023 --- With the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) amendments drawing nearer, the EU is set for pivotal changes that will impact how the industry and consumers create, use and dispose of packaging.

The revisions are intended to boost environmental sustainability in the bloc and help achieve the EU’s Green Deal, which aims to hit climate neutrality by 2050. 

How policies on issues such as recyclability targets and mandatory reuse or refillability designs will impact the industry has been the cause of heated debate in recent months. 

We speak to Monica Gross, ecosystem engagement manager for F&B at Avery Dennison, Materials Group Europe, about the central challenges and opportunities ahead. 

“We will see a significant shift in emphasis toward sustainable solutions. While the demand for sustainable options has been growing for some time, it will get more granular with requirements on packaging recyclability criteria alongside performance requirements,” she says.  

“PPWR is set to create harmonized standards across Europe on recyclable packaging. Also stimulated by PPWR, we see the emergence of new packaging formats, such as reusable packaging or refillable packaging. We are excited to support brands by exploring these new avenues and innovating together.”

Mandatory reuse targets will play a central role in the PPWR.Challenges ahead
Gross says that one of the biggest challenges facing the industry is that while suppliers continue to innovate, infrastructure for collection, sortation and recycling still needs improvement. 

“As new legislation comes to the fore, we need to be able to respond rapidly. This means we need more collaboration and dialogue between manufacturers, legislators and recyclers,” she says.

“Hopefully, the Design for Recycling Guidelines will come into force soon, allowing the packaging industry enough time before 2030 to adjust and empowering brands to transform their packaging toward more sustainable options while responding to consumer needs with safe and functional packaging.” 

But without more dialogue, Gross believes the legislative changes could become less effective in their aims. 

“We need decisions to be data-driven, not optics-led. Every legislative measure should ensure a long-term commitment to sustainability rather than a quick fix. We have an opportunity to make real progress here if we all work together,” she says. 

“We’re seeking a model that encourages and incentivizes innovation rather than one that prohibits and restricts the industry’s ability to progress.” 

Harmonizing European packaging 
One of the core aims of the PPWR is to standardize packaging design requirements to overcome regional differences. 

The EU Single Use Plastic Directive, for example, has seen issues with some countries refusing to abide by measures such as the ban on compostable single-use packaging, which led to fears over the integrity of the single market. 

Harmonization would make it easy for brands and designers to make the right choices based on EcoDesign principles, says Gross. EcoDesign is a set of general principles by which companies choose materials and formats with the least environmental impact. 

“We are all inspired and stand by the EU’s Green Deal to become climate-neutral by 2050. We continue to cooperate with brands, recyclers and packaging producers to create a product that brings a positive impact to the environment, either by using less material, by using recycled material or by creating products that enable recycling,” she says. 

An example of how Avery Dennison has worked to create a new packaging solution is a pilot launched by Circolution, through which it co-developed reusable packaging. 

Avery Dennison used its wash-off label, which offers adhesion during the product’s lifetime and removes cleanly from the packaging in low-temperature plain water without any chemicals, allowing brands to apply a new label for the next use, explains Gross. 

The European Parliament will vote on PPWR revisions next month. 

By Louis Gore-Langton