On 1 July 2026, PackUK published RAM 2027, the updated Recyclability Assessment Methodology that assigns every household packaging item a red, amber or green rating directly determining modulated waste disposal fees under pEPR.
The European Commission has adopted an Implementing Decision establishing harmonised rules for calculating, verifying and reporting recycled content in single-use PET beverage bottles, covering chemically recycled content alongside mechanical recycling.
On 24 June 2026, the Swiss Federal Council adopted a new Packaging Ordinance covering all packaging formats for the first time, introducing binding recycling targets and a phased set of obligations from 2027 onwards.
The public consultation on the draft revision of BfR Recommendations on paper and board for food contact closed on 30 June 2026, consolidating four recommendations into one tabular document with added CAS numbers.
PR3: The Global Alliance to Advance Reuse has launched a new global symbol to identify reusable packaging and reuse systems, selected through consumer research across 17 countries, reflecting PR3’s ambition to establish the mark as a genuinely global standard.
Researchers at NTU Singapore have developed a method for recycling mixed plastic packaging without the use of chemical solvents.The technique, called depolymerization-induced polymer separation, breaks down one plastic component in a mixed plastic structure while leaving others intact.
On 9 June 2026, US Congress introduced the No Toxics in Food Packaging Act, proposing to ban PFAS, ortho-phthalates, bisphenols, styrene polymers and antimony trioxide from all food contact materials.
India’s Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules introduce binding recycled content targets across three packaging categories, a new EPR obligation for raw material sellers and a third-party audit mechanism.
Three California bills targeting recycled content claims and compostable labelling advanced past a key legislative deadline in May 2026, signalling stricter evidentiary standards for environmental marketing claims on packaging.
A coalition of approximately 200 companies has written to the European Commission urging it not to reopen the PPWR for revision ahead of its August 2026 application date.
A broad industry coalition is urging the European Commission to create a digital, EU-wide One-Stop Shop for EPR compliance EU to eliminate 108 parallel, fragmented national reporting processes.
TOMRA Reuse installs Germany’s first automated cup return machines in Freiburg, showing how smart infrastructure can seamlessly scale RECUP networks and help brands meet impending PPWR reuse targets.