2025 marked a decisive shift for packaging regulation worldwide. Governments moved beyond high-level commitments and into enforceable rules, tightening controls on chemicals, waste, recycled content and producer responsibility. For packaging companies worldwide, compliance increasingly required a global view, as national updates layered on top of regional frameworks.
Table of Contents
This article brings together the key national and regional packaging legislation developments of 2025, with a particular focus on the European Union, while also covering major regulatory shifts across Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa and more.
European Union: A Year of Structural Change and Regulatory Consolidation
Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) and Market Harmonization
The formal adoption of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) set the tone for EU packaging policy in 2025. The regulation introduced binding reuse targets, restrictions on specific single-use formats and lifecycle-based packaging minimization obligations.
This was reinforced by the EU Single Market Strategy, which aims to harmonize national packaging rules, standardize EPR systems and reduce trade barriers across Member States.
To support implementation, EUROPEN launched a practical compliance guide to help companies navigate the new framework.
Food Contact Materials: BPA, Recycled Plastics and Stricter Controls
Food contact materials were a central focus in 2025. The EU’s ban on bisphenol A and other hazardous bisphenols, along with the more recent commission Regulation (EU) 2024/3190, introduced significant restrictions on the use of bisphenol A (BPA) in food contact materials (FCMs), significantly reshaping compliance expectations for plastics, coatings, adhesives and printing inks.
Further tightening came through Regulation (EU) 2025/351, which strengthened rules on plastics, GMPs and recycling in FCMs.
The Commission also issued targeted fixes to the recycled plastics regulation to clarify responsibilities under Regulation (EU) 2022/1616.
Chemicals and Environmental Claims
Under REACH, 2025 saw new solvent restrictions and multiple updates to the SVHC Candidate List, directly affecting inks, adhesives, and polymer additives.
Meanwhile, the unexpected withdrawal of the Green Claims Directive introduced uncertainty around future enforcement of environmental marketing claims.
Plastics, Pellets and Circularity
The EU adopted binding rules to prevent plastic pellet losses across the supply chain, addressing a major source of microplastic pollution.
New draft rules also clarified how chemically recycled PET must be calculated and reported under recycled content targets.
Continental Europe Beyond the EU: National Rules Tighten Alongside EU Alignment
Germany
Germany updated multiple food contact material recommendations through the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), covering polymers, silicones and paper-based materials, with revised substance limits and safety expectations.
Denmark
Denmark advanced a new regulatory framework for food contact materials following public consultation. The proposed Executive Order would clarify scope, obligations, and enforcement from 2026.
Netherlands
The Netherlands introduced amendments tightening chemical thresholds across FCMs and revised national rules on metals and alloys intended for food contact, aligning with Benelux and EU decisions.
Switzerland
Switzerland strengthened its food contact materials rules to match EU standards, tightening restrictions on BPA , hazardous bisphenols, plastics and packaging inks.
Poland
Poland’s proposed shift to a fully state-run EPR system triggered strong industry opposition, with concerns raised over compatibility with EU waste legislation principles.
Ukraine
Ukraine launched its REACH-style chemical framework (UA REACH), introducing registration and compliance obligations for chemicals used in packaging materials and imports.
United Kingdom: EPR Costs and Regulatory Alignment Pressures
The UK continued rolling out Extended Producer Responsibility reforms in 2025, confirming base fees while shifting the full cost of packaging waste management onto producers.
For chemicals, the Food Standards Agency opened consultation on banning BPA in food contact materials, signaling alignment with EU FCM rules.
At the same time, analyses warned the UK risks falling behind the EU on environmental protections post-Brexit.
Asia-Pacific: Food Safety and Circularity Take Center Stage
Japan
Japan completed its transition to a Positive List system for food contact materials, issuing final guidance and a five-year transition period. New certification standards for PET bottles and consumer packaging further promoted recyclability and recycled content.
China
China released new national food contact standards covering silicone rubber materials and coatings, expanding substance controls and compliance requirements.
India
India proposed a ban on PFAS and BPA in food contact materials, while uncertainty around recycled content obligations disrupted the rPET market.
Türkiye
Turkey amended its Food Codex to allow recycled plastics in food contact materials under strict safety conditions, marking a shift toward circular packaging.
Africa: EPR Expansion and Plastic Waste Controls
African governments introduced a wave of packaging reforms in 2025, focusing on EPR schemes, single-use plastic bans and regulatory harmonization to support recycling and trade.
Conclusion: 2025 as a Compliance Turning Point
Across regions, last year marked a shift from policy intent to enforceable packaging rules. The EU set the pace with PPWR, chemical bans and recycled content frameworks, while national authorities worldwide followed with food safety, EPR and circularity measures.
For packaging companies, staying compliant now on multiple global markets means tracking interconnected chemical, food contact and waste regulations, but also aligning product design and documentation accordingly.
Do you want to stay compliant across multiple markets? Connect with us today, and our experts will help ensure your packaging meets all regulatory requirements efficiently and effectively.
