The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, Regulation (EU) 2025/40 (PPWR), has applied in every EU country since 12 August 2026. It replaces the old Packaging Directive 94/62/EC, and it covers carrier bags, mailers, produce bags and pallet wrap. Most of the hard design rules for plastic bags start on 1 January 2030: recyclability grades, 35% recycled content for most plastic packaging, and a ban on very thin carrier bags except for hygiene or loose food. Germany, the Netherlands and France keep their own stricter bag rules on top. The UK is outside the EU and has its own carrier bag charge, Plastic Packaging Tax and EPR.
Last checked: October 2026. This page is a summary for buyers, not legal advice. Check the official texts linked below, or ask a qualified adviser, before you make compliance decisions.
On this page
- What the PPWR is
- PPWR key dates table
- Lightweight carrier bag rules
- Country notes: Germany, Netherlands, France
- UK rules
- Which bag and film products are affected
- What to ask your supplier
- What this means for importers
- FAQ
What the PPWR is
The PPWR is Regulation (EU) 2025/40 of 19 December 2024. It was published in the Official Journal on 22 January 2025 and entered into force on 11 February 2025. Article 71 sets the general application date as 12 August 2026.
It is a regulation, not a directive. The rules apply directly in all 27 member states without national transposition. Member states still run their own EPR schemes, registers and some national bans, so national law has not gone away.
The PPWR repeals Directive 94/62/EC from 12 August 2026. A few provisions of the old directive keep running until 2028 or 2029 under the transitional rules in Article 70. The carrier bag measures that Directive (EU) 2015/720 added to the old directive now sit in the PPWR itself (definitions in Article 3, reduction duty in Article 34).
Two points are still moving as of October 2026:
- Several start dates depend on implementing or delegated acts that the Commission has to adopt first. The rule is always “the fixed date or X months after the act, whichever is later.” If an act is late, the obligation moves back.
- In December 2025 the Commission proposed suspending the Article 45(3) duty to appoint an EPR authorised representative until January 2035 (proposal COM(2025) 982). The European Parliament and Council are still negotiating it. Until it is adopted, Article 45(3) applies as written.
Several companies have also filed annulment actions at the EU General Court against parts of the PPWR, including the reuse targets (Article 29), the Annex V format restrictions and the recycled content rules (Article 7). The rules stay in force while those cases run.
PPWR key dates for plastic bags and film
| Date | What applies | PPWR article | Relevance to bags and film |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Feb 2025 | Regulation enters into force | Art. 71 | No obligations yet. Planning period. |
| 31 Dec 2025, then every year | Member states must keep consumption at or below 40 lightweight plastic carrier bags per person per year (or the weight equivalent) | Art. 34(1) | Drives national bans and charges on bags under 50 µm. |
| 12 Aug 2026 | General application date. Directive 94/62/EC repealed (with transitional exceptions). | Art. 70, 71 | All rules without a later date now apply. |
| 12 Aug 2026 | Lead, cadmium, mercury and hexavalent chromium together max 100 mg/kg (100 ppm) in packaging | Art. 5(4) | Same limit as the old directive. Pigments and inks count. |
| 12 Aug 2026 | PFAS limits for food-contact packaging: 25 ppb for any single PFAS, 250 ppb for the sum of PFAS, 50 ppm total PFAS including polymeric PFAS | Art. 5(5) | Produce bags, food bags, food film. |
| 12 Aug 2026 | Manufacturers must do a conformity assessment, keep technical documentation and an EU declaration of conformity (5 years for single-use packaging), and mark packaging with a batch or type number and their name and postal address | Art. 15, 38, 39 | Applies to whoever is the “manufacturer,” which is usually the brand owner for printed bags (see below). |
| 12 Aug 2026 | Producers selling into another member state, or from outside the EU directly to end users there, must appoint an EPR authorised representative in that country | Art. 45(3) | Suspension until 2035 proposed but not adopted as of October 2026. |
| 12 Feb 2028 | Permeable tea and coffee bags and fruit stickers must be industrially compostable. Other biodegradable plastic packaging must be designed for material recycling. | Art. 9(1), 9(3) | “Biodegradable” bags no longer get a pass on recyclability. |
| 12 Aug 2028 at the earliest | Harmonised pictogram label showing material composition, for sorting. Does not apply to transport packaging, except e-commerce packaging. | Art. 12(1) | Date is 12 Aug 2028 or 24 months after the implementing act, whichever is later. The act was not in force when we checked. |
| 12 Feb 2029 at the earliest | Reusable packaging must carry a “reusable” label and a QR code or other data carrier | Art. 12(2) | Reusable shopping bags sold as part of a reuse system. |
| 1 Jan 2030 | Very lightweight plastic carrier bags (under 15 µm) banned, except where needed for hygiene or supplied as sales packaging for loose food to prevent food waste | Art. 25, Annex V pt 6 | Thin checkout bags gone. Produce bags on roll for loose food are exempt. |
| 1 Jan 2030 | Single-use plastic packaging for pre-packed fresh fruit and vegetables under 1.5 kg restricted (member states may grant exemptions) | Art. 25, Annex V pt 2 | Pre-packed produce bags and nets. Under court challenge. |
| 1 Jan 2030 | Packaging weight and volume reduced to the minimum needed for function | Art. 10(1) | Gauge and size choices must be justified in the technical file. |
| 1 Jan 2030 at the earliest | All packaging must be recyclable and reach grade A, B or C | Art. 6 | Or 24 months after the delegated acts on design-for-recycling, whichever is later. |
| 1 Jan 2030 at the earliest | Minimum post-consumer recycled content in plastic packaging: 30% contact-sensitive PET, 10% contact-sensitive non-PET, 30% single-use beverage bottles, 35% all other plastic packaging | Art. 7(1) | Carrier bags, mailers and stretch film fall in the 35% group. Food-contact PE bags fall in the 10% group. Date is 1 Jan 2030 or 3 years after the implementing act, whichever is later. |
| 1 Jan 2030 | Transport packaging, including pallet wrapping and straps, used in the EU: at least 40% reusable within a reuse system | Art. 29(1) | Stretch film buyers. A 2026 delegated decision exempts pallet wrap and straps from the 100% reuse rule for same-company and same-country transport. |
| 1 Jan 2030 at the earliest | Max 50% empty space in grouped, transport and e-commerce packaging | Art. 24 | Mailer sizing. Or 3 years after the implementing act. |
| 1 Jan 2035 at the earliest | Packaging must be “recycled at scale” | Art. 6(2) | Depends on a later implementing act. |
| 1 Jan 2038 | Only grade A or B recyclable packaging allowed | Art. 6(3) | Grade C packaging drops out. |
| 1 Jan 2040 | Recycled content rises: 50% contact-sensitive PET, 25% contact-sensitive non-PET, 65% beverage bottles, 65% other plastic packaging. Transport packaging reuse target rises to 70% (best-efforts). | Art. 7(2), 29(1) | Long-term target for bag and film buyers. |
Recycled content under Article 7 must come from post-consumer plastic waste. Material collected and recycled outside the EU only counts if it meets standards equivalent to EU rules, and the Commission still has to set out how that is checked. Plastic parts under 5% of the total packaging weight are exempt from the recycled content rule.
Lightweight plastic carrier bags: from Directive 2015/720 to the PPWR
Directive (EU) 2015/720 amended the old Packaging Directive to cut use of thin plastic carrier bags. Member states had two options. They could cap use at 90 lightweight bags per person per year by the end of 2019 and 40 by the end of 2025. Or they could stop lightweight bags being given away free at the point of sale by 31 December 2018. Many countries used both.
The PPWR keeps the same thickness classes and makes the 40-bag target permanent:
| PPWR class | Wall thickness | Main rule |
|---|---|---|
| Very lightweight plastic carrier bag | Below 15 µm | Banned from 1 Jan 2030 unless needed for hygiene or used as sales packaging for loose food to prevent waste. Member states may leave them out of the 40-bag count. |
| Lightweight plastic carrier bag | Below 50 µm | Member states must keep use at 40 per person per year or less, from 31 Dec 2025. Bans and charges allowed. |
| Thick plastic carrier bag | 50 to 99 µm | No EU-wide cap. Member states may still tax or limit any bag regardless of thickness (Art. 34(3)). |
| Very thick plastic carrier bag | Above 99 µm | As above. Must be reported separately. |
A “plastic carrier bag” in the PPWR means a plastic bag, with or without a handle, supplied to consumers at the point of sale. Member states that collect compostable packaging with bio-waste may also require lightweight and very lightweight carrier bags to be compostable (Art. 9(2)). France already does this for produce bags.
Single-Use Plastics Directive and oxo-degradable plastics
The Single-Use Plastics Directive (EU) 2019/904 runs alongside the PPWR. Article 5 requires member states to ban products made from oxo-degradable plastic, meaning plastic with additives that make it break into micro-fragments. That ban has applied since 3 July 2021. It covers any product, so oxo-degradable bags and film cannot be sold in the EU. The directive also lists lightweight plastic carrier bags under its EPR rules, so producers pay toward litter clean-up for them.
Country notes: Germany, Netherlands, France and the rest of the EU
| Country | Main law | Plastic bag rules | Registration and EPR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | Verpackungsrecht-Durchführungsgesetz (VerpackDG), in force 12 Aug 2026. It replaced the Verpackungsgesetz (VerpackG), which expired on 11 Aug 2026. | Final distributors may not hand out lightweight plastic carrier bags to be filled at the point of sale (§ 12 VerpackDG). The exception is very lightweight bags needed for hygiene or used for loose food. The earlier ban under the VerpackG applied from 1 Jan 2022. In July 2026 the Federal Administrative Court ruled that reusable shopping bags offered at the checkout are packaging that must be registered with a dual system. | Producers must register with the Zentrale Stelle Verpackungsregister (ZSVR) in the LUCID register before first placing packaging on the German market (§ 6). Producers without a German establishment must appoint an authorised representative, with a written mandate in German (§ 5). |
| Netherlands | Besluit beheer verpakkingen 2014 and Regeling beheer verpakkingen, plus the PPWR | Free plastic carrier bags banned since 1 Jan 2016, for all plastic types, including bio-based and biodegradable plastic and coated paper or jute bags. Shops set the price. The government’s suggested price is EUR 0.25. Free bags under 0.015 mm are allowed only to protect food or prevent food waste. The Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) enforces the ban. | Producers and importers placing 50,000 kg or more of packaging on the Dutch market per year pay the packaging waste management contribution to Verpact (formerly Afvalfonds Verpakkingen). They must also report every year. Shop carrier bags with a retailer’s name or logo make that retailer a producer. |
| France | Code de l’environnement, Article L541-15-10, as amended by the 2015 energy transition law and the 2020 AGEC anti-waste law | Single-use plastic checkout bags banned since 1 Jul 2016. Only reusable plastic bags over 50 µm, or non-plastic bags, may be given at the till. Single-use plastic bags other than checkout bags (fruit, vegetables, bulk goods) banned since 1 Jan 2017 unless they are bio-based and home-compostable. Oxo-fragmentable plastic bags and packaging banned since 18 Aug 2015. AGEC added more bans from 2022, including plastic wrapping for mailed press and advertising. | EPR through approved producer schemes. France also has its own sorting label rules (Triman and Info-tri), which may change once the EU harmonised label applies. |
| Other EU countries | PPWR plus national EPR law | Each country picks its own route to the 40-bag target: bans, taxes or fixed charges. Check the national rule before you change gauge or material. | Register in each country where you first make packaging available. The ZSVR takes part in a network of national registers from 16 member states working on a common reading of the PPWR. |
UK rules (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland)
The UK left the EU, so the PPWR does not apply in Great Britain. UK buyers of plastic bags deal with three separate systems.
| Rule | What it says (October 2026) | Who pays or acts |
|---|---|---|
| Carrier bag charge, England | Minimum 10p per single-use carrier bag, for retailers of every size, since 21 May 2021. Covers new plastic bags 70 µm thick or less, with handles and an opening, not sealed. Woven plastic bags and returnable bags for life sold for 10p or more are not covered. | Retailers. Large retailers (250+ full-time equivalent staff) must record and report. |
| Carrier bag charge, Scotland | Minimum 10p since 1 Apr 2021 | Retailers |
| Carrier bag levy, Northern Ireland | 25p levy since 1 Apr 2022, on bags of any material with a retail price of £5 or less | Retailers pay the levy to DAERA |
| Carrier bag charge, Wales | Separate Welsh charge. Check Welsh Government guidance for the current amount. | Retailers |
| Plastic Packaging Tax (PPT) | £228.82 per tonne from 1 Apr 2026 (it was £223.69 from 1 Apr 2025). Charged on finished plastic packaging components with less than 30% recycled plastic. Registration is needed at 10 tonnes or more in 12 months, or expected within the next 30 days. HMRC says pre-consumer recycled plastic counts toward the 30% only before 1 Apr 2027. | UK manufacturers and importers of plastic packaging, including unfilled bags |
| UK EPR for packaging | Producers established in the UK with more than 25 tonnes of packaging a year and £1 million or more turnover are obligated. Large producers (over 50 tonnes and over £2 million) pay disposal fees and report more data. | Brand owners, importers, packers/fillers and sellers |
HMRC’s PPT guidance treats single-use consumer products used to contain, protect or handle goods or waste as packaging, with “plastic bags” given as an example. So bin liners can fall under PPT in the UK even where the EU would not treat them as packaging.
Which bag and film products are affected
| Product | Packaging under the PPWR? | Main PPWR points |
|---|---|---|
| T-shirt bags and die-cut bags given at the checkout | Yes. Annex I lists paper or plastic carrier bags filled at the point of sale. | Thickness classes and national bans. 35% recycled content from 2030. Recyclability grade. Harmonised label later. |
| Reusable woven or PP non-woven shopping bags | Yes when supplied at the point of sale. Germany’s top administrative court confirmed this in 2026 for checkout reusable bags. | EPR registration and fees. “Reusable” label rules if part of a reuse system. |
| Produce bags on roll (under 15 µm) | Yes. They count as very lightweight carrier bags. | Exempt from the 2030 ban when used for hygiene or loose food. Food-contact rules and PFAS limits apply. France requires bio-based, home-compostable bags. |
| Mailers and e-commerce bags | Yes. Annex I lists mailing pouches with a magazine inside. | E-commerce packaging needs the harmonised label. 50% empty space limit. 35% recycled content. |
| Stretch film and pallet wrap | Yes. It is transport packaging. | 40% reuse target from 2030 counts pallet wrapping. Exempt from the 100% reuse rule for same-company and same-country transport. 35% recycled content. No harmonised label needed (transport packaging). |
| Trash bags and can liners sold empty | Not listed in Annex I. Sold empty, they are generally treated as a product, not packaging, because they do not contain or deliver a product. The PPWR handles bins and bags for waste separately as “waste receptacles.” | The box or film the liners are sold in is packaging. Heavy-metal and REACH rules still apply. In the UK, PPT may apply. |
On trash bags: we did not find a Commission ruling that says yes or no for bin liners. Check with the national register in each country you sell into.
Who is the “manufacturer” matters. Under the PPWR, if a company has packaging designed or made under its own name or trademark, that company is the manufacturer. A retailer ordering bags printed with its own logo carries the manufacturer duties: conformity assessment, technical file, declaration of conformity. The factory has to supply the data (Art. 16).
What to ask your supplier for
| Document or data | Why you need it | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| Material and thickness spec per SKU (resin, gauge in µm, weight, dimensions) | Places the bag in the right thickness class. Feeds EPR weight reports and the minimisation file. | PPWR Art. 3, 10, 16, 34 |
| Heavy-metal statement or test report (Pb + Cd + Hg + Cr(VI) at or below 100 mg/kg) | Required for all packaging. Covers inks and masterbatch. | PPWR Art. 5(4) |
| Supplier information for your technical documentation and EU declaration of conformity | Manufacturers must hold these before placing packaging on the market. Suppliers must provide the data. | PPWR Art. 15, 16, 39, Annex VII |
| Recycled content documentation (post-consumer share, source, chain of custody) | Needed for the 2030 targets. Also used for UK PPT’s 30% threshold and EPR fee modulation. | PPWR Art. 7; UK PPT |
| Food-contact declaration of compliance and PFAS statement | Required for plastic food-contact materials at every stage before retail. PFAS limits apply to food-contact packaging from 12 Aug 2026. | Reg. (EU) No 10/2011 Art. 15; PPWR Art. 5(5) |
| No oxo-degradable additives statement | Oxo-degradable plastic products are banned. | Directive 2019/904 Art. 5 |
| Print proof showing required marks | Manufacturer name and address (or QR code), batch number, national marks, and later the EU harmonised label | PPWR Art. 12, 15 |
What this means for importers and distributors
For most bag buyers, August 2026 was a paperwork date. The material changes come in 2030. A sensible order of work:
- Sort your range into the PPWR thickness classes and map each SKU to the national rules in each country you sell into.
- Decide who the manufacturer is for each SKU. If the bag carries your logo, it is probably you.
- Start collecting heavy-metal, food-contact and PFAS paperwork from suppliers now. Build the technical file per SKU.
- Plan for 35% post-consumer recycled content in carrier bags, mailers and film by 2030. Recycled resin supply that meets EU rules will be tight.
- Leave space in your print layout for the harmonised label and manufacturer details.
Hanpak makes T-shirt bags, die-cut bags, PP non-woven reusable bags, produce bags on roll, trash bags and can liners, mailers and film. We produce to custom thickness and size, so a bag can be built to sit in the thickness class a market requires. Our gravure printing runs up to 8 colors, which leaves room to print the text the law asks for: “reusable,” thickness marks, manufacturer name and address, batch codes and sorting labels. Our plants follow JIS and ISO 9001. See private label and custom printing, browse shopping bags and food packaging, or read why source from Vietnam. To talk through specs for an EU or UK program, contact our sales team.
FAQ
When does the PPWR apply?
Regulation (EU) 2025/40 entered into force on 11 February 2025. It has applied since 12 August 2026. Many design rules start later, mostly on 1 January 2030, and some only after the Commission adopts implementing acts.
Are plastic bags banned in the EU?
No EU-wide ban covers all plastic bags. From 1 January 2030 the PPWR bans very lightweight carrier bags under 15 µm, except for hygiene or loose food. Bags under 50 µm are limited through national measures to meet the 40-bags-per-person target. Some countries go further: Germany bans lightweight carrier bags at the checkout, and France bans single-use plastic checkout bags.
What thickness is a lightweight plastic carrier bag?
Under the PPWR, lightweight means a wall thickness below 50 microns. Very lightweight means below 15 microns. Thick is 50 to 99 microns, and very thick is above 99 microns.
Do bin liners count as packaging under the PPWR?
Bin liners sold empty are not listed as packaging in Annex I. They are generally treated as products, because they hold waste rather than a product being sold. Their retail packaging is packaging. The UK is different: HMRC’s Plastic Packaging Tax guidance covers single-use consumer bags used for waste.
What is the recycled content requirement for plastic bags?
From 1 January 2030 (or 3 years after the Commission’s calculation method is adopted, if that is later), plastic packaging outside the contact-sensitive and bottle groups needs 35% post-consumer recycled content, averaged per plant and year. That rises to 65% in 2040. Contact-sensitive non-PET packaging, such as food-contact PE bags, needs 10% in 2030 and 25% in 2040.
Do non-EU bag makers need an authorised representative?
Under Article 45(3), a producer selling packaging from another country directly to end users in a member state must appoint an EPR authorised representative there. Member states may extend this to other third-country producers. Germany requires one for producers without a German establishment. The Commission has proposed suspending Article 45(3) until 2035. That proposal was still under negotiation in October 2026.