Supplier Intelligence
The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR, EU 2024/1781) enters its first binding phase on 1 August 2026. For Italian and Spanish importers sourcing consumer goods from China, this is the most operationally significant compliance deadline of the year - and the majority of Chinese manufacturers are not yet aware of what it requires.
PPWR Article 26 prohibits packaging where the empty space exceeds 40% of the total packaging volume. This applies to all secondary and tertiary packaging placed on the EU market from August 2026. In practice: if a Chinese supplier ships your product inside a box that is more than 40% air, you cannot legally sell it in the EU without repackaging it. In SinoSource assessments through Q1 2026, approximately 60% of Chinese consumer goods packaging fails this threshold.
What to do: ask your supplier for packaging dimensions and the volume of the product inside. Calculate the ratio. If it exceeds 40%, raise a packaging modification request before your next order - most factories can adjust box dimensions within 4-6 weeks with adequate notice.
PPWR Article 5 prohibits per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in packaging that comes into direct contact with food - kitchen accessories, food storage containers, baking equipment. Many Chinese manufacturers use PFAS-containing coatings in grease-resistant packaging. From August 2026, this is prohibited for EU market products.
What to do: if you source any food-contact category, request a PFAS declaration specifically for the packaging materials (not a general REACH declaration). Ask specifically about packaging PFAS content.
PPWR introduces mandatory recyclability labelling - a standardised symbol indicating whether packaging is recyclable - for packaging placed on the EU market from August 2026. The exact format is being finalised in secondary legislation, but the obligation to label is confirmed.
Mandatory recycled content targets (30-55% recycled plastic content by 2030 depending on packaging type) and single-use packaging restrictions apply from 2028-2030 - not August 2026. The August phase is specifically: the empty space rule, the PFAS ban in food-contact packaging, and basic recyclability labelling.
Include PPWR requirements in your next RFQ as specific specification points. Example language: ‘All packaging must comply with EU PPWR Article 26 (maximum 40% empty space) and Article 5 (no PFAS in food-contact packaging). Written confirmation required before shipment.’ Most Chinese suppliers will ask what PPWR is - expect to brief them. Suppliers with existing EU export experience adapt quickly; those without may struggle to understand the requirement.
The SinoSource May 2026 Home Goods report includes a PPWR packaging check for all 14 assessed suppliers. Read the sample here.
Run the Safety Gate monitor and sample report workflow before you commit to a supplier.