93% of British businesses have been affected or expect to be affected by the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), new research shows.
The research of British manufacturers and suppliers shows an overwhelming majority are rethinking packaging to comply with new EU rules.
The survey of 200 British businesses throughout non-food supply chains, by logistics company Advanced Supply Chain, revealed that 93% have been affected or expect to be affected by the PPWR.
The EU’s PPWR introduces a new framework for packaging circularity, including requirements for recyclability, recycled content and packaging minimisation.
Many of the new measures will be phased in over the coming years, and 12 August 2026 marks the general application of the new regulation for any business placing packaging on the EU market.
The research found that 16% of businesses surveyed have already formatted packaging to comply with the new regulations, 39% are currently making changes to packaging, and 32% are reviewing and assessing packaging formats.
Commenting on the survey, Stuart Greenfield, UK and European Sales Director at Advanced Supply Chain, said the findings show how ‘far-reaching’ the EU’s new packaging regulation is.
“Although the PPWR is an EU regulation, it’s not unusual to see businesses applying PPWR principles to packaging used outside the EU,” Greenfield continued.
“British businesses want to continue trading seamlessly with customers across Europe, and many are standardising packaging formats to support compliance, control costs and simplify retail logistics across multiple markets.”
73% of the 200 businesses surveyed also said that Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging (pEPR) has increased repackaging requirements.
47% said they have seen growing levels of packaging waste and 37% reported that the scheme has led to increased packaging errors.
