As the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation becomes applicable on 12 August, food packaging exceeding the new PFAS limits can no longer be placed on the EU market. Campaigners say the EU must now ensure strong enforcement and accelerate the shift towards reuse and refill systems.

Brussels, 12th August 2026 – As of today, 12th August 2026, the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) applies, marking a significant milestone in Europe’s efforts to tackle the packaging waste crisis, despite an unprecedented last-minute industry lobbying push that aimed to delay and weaken the regulation. 

This landmark regulation will contribute to protecting public health and the environment. Over the next few years, the regulation will introduce legally binding measures aimed at reducing packaging waste, increasing reuse and refill, restricting certain single-use packaging formats, and improving packaging design requirements. 

As of today, food-contact packaging that contains ‘forever chemicals’ PFAS exceeding a critical threshold is banned from the European market. The use of these chemicals is used to make food packaging such as coffee cups and takeaway containers impervious, and is particularly concerning because the forever chemicals can leach into the food and can thus be ingested (1,2). 

A recent study by the EU’s Joint Research Centre (3) showed that efforts to tackle the packaging waste crisis are urgently needed: The total amount of all packaging placed on the market amounts to a striking 98 kg per capita (this weight is very significant as packaging is usually so light). Food and beverage account for the largest share, covering 97% of the whole packaging material on the market. Plastic packaging, in particular, is a growing concern, as it is the only packaging category showing an upward trend between 2011 and 2025, growing by 11% in absolute terms.

As the PPWR application period kicks-in, there’s no time to waste. The Rethink Plastic Alliance and the wider BFFP movement commend the European Commission for safeguarding the PPWR and continue to offer  support for effective implementation. At the same time, we urge national and local governments to implement the provisions of the Regulation with a high level of ambition by championing waste prevention and reuse and slash record levels of packaging waste across the EU.

Quotes

“Forever chemicals in packaging are harmful and unnecessary, posing a serious risk of contaminating our food and entering our bodies. With these new rules, the EU has taken swift action to remove PFAS from food contact packaging, helping to reduce our exposure to them as well as making packaging more circular. Industries and Member States must now keep up the pace and implement these rules without delay to protect consumers and the environment.” – Emily Best, Senior Programme Manager at ECOS.

“The entry into application of the PPWR on 12 August marks a crucial milestone for Europe’s transition to a circular economy.  After years of negotiations, now is time for an ambitious implementation that delivers on the regulation’s core promise: preventing packaging waste before it is created.  The coming years must focus on turning reuse and waste-prevention obligations into reality through clear national measures to reduce unnecessary packaging and invest in well designed reuse systems. If Europe is serious about cutting packaging waste, reuse needs to become the norm, not the exception.” – Larissa Copello, Reuse and Packaging Policy Officer at Zero Waste Europe.

“The PPWR shows us a glimpse of what future-fit EU legislation should look like: preventing waste before it is created, accelerating the shift to reuse, and reducing exposure to harmful chemicals. As the EU prepares its Circular Economy Act, the packaging regulation offers a clear lesson for the next generation of circular economy legislation: true circularity starts with prevention and reuse.” – Marco Musso, Deputy Policy Manager for Circular Economy at the European Environmental Bureau.

References 

1. Zero Waste Europe: Why is toxic food packaging still legal? – Zero Waste Europe 
2. European Environment Agency: What are the impacts of PFAS polymers on our health and the environment? | Press releases 
3. Joint Research Centre (2026): Packaging materials in the EU: quantities stay significant, plastic grew by 11% 
4. Rethink Plastic Alliance: 160+ environmental and health groups respond to last-minute attempt by Coca-Cola, McDonald’s and Others to Reopen EU Packaging Law – Rethink Plastic 
5. Rethink Plastic Alliance: PPWR Implementation Guide for National and Local Governments