New EU regulation promotes the procurement of sustainable packaging

On 19 December 2024, the EU adopted the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR - Regulation (EU) 2025/40) which aims to foster the transition to a circular and competitive economy for packaging and its related waste. 

The PPWR, which entered into force in February 2025, aims to reduce the use of primary raw materials, make the recycling of all packaging on the EU market economically viable by 2030, safely incorporate recycled plastic in packaging, and put the packaging sector on track for climate neutrality by 2050. The new regulation covers the entire packaging life-cycle and seeks to further harmonise national manufacturing, recycling and reuse measures. The EU expects that the adopted measures will significantly reduce GHG emissions, water use, and the negative effects of packaging and packaging waste on the environment and the health of its citizens. 

Green Public Procurement (GPP) has a key role to play in supporting these objectives. The European Commission, in order to incentivise the supply and demand for sustainable packaging, shall adopt, by February 2030, implementing acts that specify minimum mandatory requirements for public contracts related to packaging or products and services using packaging. These mandatory requirements can take the form of technical specifications, selection criteria or contract performance conditions.  

As article 63 of the PPWR notes, the mandatory requirements should be based on sustainability requirements and on elements such as the value and volume of public contracts awarded for packaging or packaged products or for the services or works using packaging or packaged products; the economic feasibility for contracting authorities or contracting entities to buy more environmentally sustainable packaging or packaged products, without entailing disproportionate costs; the market situation at Union level of the relevant packaging or packaged products; the effects of the requirements on competition; packaging waste management obligations.

For more information, you can visit the following website.