EU packaging regulation takes effect: PFAS banned in food packaging, small shops halt cross-border sales

PFAS ban takes effect

The EU's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), a 124-page document with 71 articles, officially applies as of Wednesday, 12 August 2026. The regulation replaces the original Packaging Directive from 1994. The most immediate change is a ban on placing food packaging containing PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) above new EU-wide limits on the market. The so-called "forever chemicals" were used to make burger boxes, pastry papers and other takeaway containers grease- and water-resistant. According to the Verbraucherzentrale Baden-Württemberg, the limits are so low that intentional use of PFAS in this segment is practically excluded. Existing warehouse stock may still be sold. The chemicals are suspected of being harmful to health, with some linked to cancer and liver damage.

Small businesses halt cross-border shipping

Beyond the PFAS rules, the regulation introduces Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), requiring even the smallest retailers to appoint an EPR representative in every EU member state they ship to, register in national producer registers, and report packaging quantities broken down by material type. The EU defines micro-enterprises as those with fewer than 10 employees and a maximum of €2 million annual turnover or balance sheet total. Thousands of small shops have announced on Instagram that they will no longer ship to other EU countries. Over 2,600 contributions have been submitted to the EU's feedback portal, many demanding adjustments for small businesses.

Sandra, founder of the Berlin design label "s.wert design", previously shipped souvenirs, stationery and posters to 13 EU countries. She estimates additional costs of around €1,700 and roughly four days of work for registrations and reports. Registration for Poland alone costs €150 per year.

Just for deliveries to Poland, the registration costs 150 euros per year. If we only ship one or two posters, then it's no longer worth it.

She supports the EU and packaging reduction but calls the rules poorly thought out, arguing they disadvantage small businesses while large online retailers absorb such costs effortlessly. Valentine, a Swiss online shop owner selling prints, stickers, pins and jewelry, has also stopped shipping to the EU.

I don't want to stop selling to my customers in the EU. It feels terrible to have to turn away people who want to buy my work.

Industry criticism and phased rollout

Christoph Petri, head of circular economy and environmental policy at the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (DIHK), reports receiving daily questions from companies and criticizes the regulation's complexity.

In terms of complexity, it's simply too unwieldy.

He advocates pausing implementation, citing legal grey zones and the fact that the rules are entirely new territory for many businesses. Most consumer-visible changes arrive later. From October 2026, tea and coffee pads are classified as packaging, with mandatory participation in collection systems. From February 2027, take-away businesses must allow customers to use their own containers. From February 2029, reusable packaging must be clearly labeled, and EU countries without deposit systems must establish them for single-use plastic bottles and beverage cans. From 1 January 2030, packaging must be as small as possible, with a maximum of 50% empty space in shipping boxes, and certain single-use plastic packaging for fresh fruit and vegetables will be banned.

Waste reduction targets

In 2023, EU residents generated 177.8 kg of packaging waste per capita, according to Eurostat. The regulation aims to reduce packaging waste by 5% by 2030, 10% by 2035, and at least 15% by 2040, all compared to 2018 levels. Plastic packaging recycling targets call for 50% by 2025 and 55% by 2030. Separately, German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil (SPD) plans a plastic tax for the coming year. In Switzerland, the regulation does not apply automatically and no general EU-Switzerland mechanism covers it, but Swiss firms exporting to the EU must adapt their packaging accordingly.