{"id":13329,"date":"2026-08-31T09:56:53","date_gmt":"2026-08-31T06:56:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/?p=13329"},"modified":"2026-09-02T10:09:25","modified_gmt":"2026-09-02T07:09:25","slug":"ppwr-recycled-content-call-for-evidence-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/ppwr-recycled-content-call-for-evidence-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"European Commission Opens Call for Evidence on PPWR Recycled Content Rules"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The European Commission has launched three parallel calls for evidence to gather technical input ahead of developing the secondary legislation that will define how the <strong>PPWR&#8217;s recycled content targets<\/strong> for plastic packaging are calculated, verified and enforced. The feedback period runs until <strong>16 September 2026 <\/strong>via the Commission&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/info\/law\/better-regulation\/have-your-say\/initiatives\/19033-Packaging-and-packaging-waste-sustainability-criteria-for-plastic-recycling-technologies_en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Have Your Say portal<\/a>. The three legal acts, two implementing acts and one delegated act, are based on Article 7 of the PPWR and are expected to be adopted by the end of 2026.<\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 ez-toc-wrap-center counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title ez-toc-toggle\" style=\"cursor:pointer\">TABLE OF CONTENTS<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/ppwr-recycled-content-call-for-evidence-2026\/#What_the_Three_Legal_Acts_Will_Cover\" >What the Three Legal Acts Will Cover<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/ppwr-recycled-content-call-for-evidence-2026\/#Why_the_Commission_is_Gathering_Evidence_Now\" >Why the Commission is Gathering Evidence Now<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/ppwr-recycled-content-call-for-evidence-2026\/#The_Timeline_Question\" >The Timeline Question<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/ppwr-recycled-content-call-for-evidence-2026\/#What_this_Means_for_Packaging_Producers\" >What this Means for Packaging Producers<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/ppwr-recycled-content-call-for-evidence-2026\/#Conclusion\" >Conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_the_Three_Legal_Acts_Will_Cover\"><\/span><strong>What the Three Legal Acts Will Cover<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The PPWR sets minimum recycled content targets for plastic packaging from 2030, with percentages varying by polymer type and whether the packaging is contact-sensitive. However, the regulation itself does not specify how recycled content should be measured, what counts as an acceptable recycling process or how imported recyclate should be treated. These operational details are left to the secondary legislation now being prepared.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li>The first implementing act, under Article 7(8), will establish the <strong>methodology for calculating and verifying the percentage of recycled content from post-consumer plastic waste.<\/strong> This includes questions around data flows, traceability through the supply chain, mass balance approaches, chain-of-custody schemes and the format of the technical documentation that manufacturers will need to provide.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li>The second act, a delegated act under Article 7(7), will set <strong>sustainability criteria for plastic recycling technologies<\/strong>. This is intended to ensure that recyclate used to meet the PPWR targets is produced through processes that meet minimum environmental and health protection standards. The criteria are expected to address the environmental and economic performance of recycling processes, the quality of the output material and the availability of recycling capacity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li>The third act, an implementing act, under Article 7(10), will define the <strong>conditions <\/strong>under which plastic recyclate and products containing recyclate<strong> from outside the EU can be used to meet the recycled content targets<\/strong>. This is particularly relevant for producers who source recycled material globally and need to demonstrate that imported recyclate meets equivalent standards to EU-produced material.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_the_Commission_is_Gathering_Evidence_Now\"><\/span><strong>Why the Commission is Gathering Evidence Now<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The recycled content targets themselves were established during the legislative process that led to the PPWR&#8217;s adoption in <strong>December 2024<\/strong> and were subject to an impact assessment at that stage. The Commission has therefore decided not to conduct a separate impact assessment for the implementing measures. Instead, it is collecting evidence on costs, benefits, feasibility, proportionality, enforceability, impacts on smaller businesses, market surveillance requirements, international supply chain implications and the situation in third countries.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The call for evidence is open to stakeholders inside and outside the EU, including producers, recyclers, converters, waste management operators and certification bodies. The Commission has invited submissions of published and pre-print scientific research, analyses and data. The input will feed into a Commission staff working document and inform the drafting of the three legal acts.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-13325\" src=\"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1.3-1024x768.png\" alt=\"Plastic packaging waste collected in a bag, representing the PPWR recycled content rules that the European Commission is developing through three calls for evidence.\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1.3-1024x768.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1.3-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1.3-768x576.png 768w, https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1.3.png 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Timeline_Question\"><\/span><strong>The Timeline Question<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Commission&#8217;s stated target is to adopt all three acts by <strong>31 December 2026<\/strong>, as required by <strong>Article 7<\/strong> of the PPWR. Whether this deadline can realistically be met is a matter of debate within the industry. The feedback period does not close until mid-September, leaving a narrow window to process submissions, draft the legal texts, conduct the necessary consultations and complete the adoption procedure before the year ends.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The recycled content targets themselves are due to apply from <strong>1 January 2030<\/strong>, or <strong>three years<\/strong> after the entry into force of the implementing act under <strong>Article 7(8)<\/strong>, whichever is later. This means that if the implementing act is adopted in early 2027 rather than late 2026, the effective date for recycled content obligations could shift to early 2030 rather than 1 January 2030, \u00a0a relatively minor practical difference, but one that affects compliance planning timelines.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_this_Means_for_Packaging_Producers\"><\/span><strong>What this Means for Packaging Producers<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">For producers placing plastic packaging on the EU market, the call for evidence signals that several critical operational questions remain open. How recycled content will be calculated, particularly whether mass balance approaches will be accepted and under what conditions, directly affects material sourcing strategies and supplier relationships. The sustainability criteria for recycling technologies will determine which recyclate sources qualify, which may narrow or expand the available supply depending on how the criteria are drawn.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The rules on imported recyclate are especially relevant for producers with global supply chains. The PPWR requires that imported recyclate meet equivalent conditions to EU-produced material, but the precise requirements are not yet defined. Producers who currently source recycled material from outside the EU should monitor these developments closely, as the equivalence rules may require additional certification, documentation or testing.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The calculation methodology will also determine the administrative burden. The choice between batch-level tracking, mass balance at the manufacturing plant level, or annual average calculations will significantly affect how producers need to structure their procurement, production and reporting processes.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The three calls for evidence represent the next critical step in making the PPWR&#8217;s recycled content targets operational. Until the implementing and delegated acts are adopted, producers do not have a defined methodology for calculating or verifying their recycled content, sustainability criteria for their recyclate sources or equivalence rules for imported material. The feedback period closes on 16 September 2026. Producers, recyclers and other stakeholders who want to influence the shape of these rules should consider submitting evidence through the <a href=\"https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/info\/law\/better-regulation\/have-your-say\/initiatives\/19033-Packaging-and-packaging-waste-sustainability-criteria-for-plastic-recycling-technologies_en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Have Your Say portal<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The European Commission has launched three parallel calls for evidence to develop the secondary legislation defining how PPWR recycled content targets for plastic packaging are calculated, verified and enforced. The feedback period runs until 16 September 2026.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":13325,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28,540],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13329","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-en","category-regulations-policy-en","category-28","category-540","description-off"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13329","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13329"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13329\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13334,"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13329\/revisions\/13334"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13325"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13329"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13329"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13329"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}