{"id":11944,"date":"2026-02-26T20:58:10","date_gmt":"2026-02-27T01:58:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.packagingindustrynews.com\/?p=11944"},"modified":"2026-02-26T20:58:10","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T01:58:10","slug":"eu-drops-pallet-wrap-reuse-mandate-in-new-packaging-rules","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.packagingindustrynews.com\/?p=11944","title":{"rendered":"EU drops pallet wrap reuse mandate in new packaging rules"},"content":{"rendered":"


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The decision follows a technical review that found full reuse would create high costs and practical barriers for businesses. \/ Credit: feeling lucky via Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

The European Commission has adopted a delegated act removing the obligation for pallet wrapping and straps to meet a strict 100 % reuse requirement under the EU\u2019s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR).<\/p>\n

The change follows industry feedback and a feasibility assessment showing that enforcing full reuse in transport operations could impose disproportionate costs and logistical challenges for businesses.<\/p>\n

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Change in reuse rules for pallet wrapping<\/h2>\n

Under the PPWR, which entered into force in February 2025, transport and sales packaging must meet an overall reuse target of 40 % by 1 January 2030, covering items such as pallets, crates and flexible packaging.<\/p>\n

Previously, the legislation included an aspirational 100 % reuse target for pallet wrapping films and straps when used within the same company or between linked companies in the same Member State.<\/p>\n

The new delegated act exempts these specific load-securing components from the 100 % requirement, allowing firms to focus on the broader 40 % target without the added burden of securing full reuse for these items.<\/p>\n

The Commission\u2019s study, conducted in response to stakeholder input, concluded that replacing single-use wrapping and straps with reusable systems in internal transport operations could lead to high adaptation costs, particularly where automated packaging processes are involved.<\/p>\n

This assessment influenced the decision to grant the exemption and reflects practical constraints in current logistics and packaging systems.<\/p>\n

Implications for EU packaging and logistics<\/h2>\n

The exemption affects businesses across the European Union that rely on pallet wrapping and straps to secure goods during transport.<\/p>\n

By relieving economic operators from the strict 100 % reuse requirement for these components, the Commission aims to balance sustainability goals with operational and financial realities.<\/p>\n

Firms will still need to meet the overall 40 % reuse target for transport packaging by 2030, but they can allocate efforts and investments to areas where reusable solutions are technically and economically feasible.<\/p>\n

Industry associations have pointed to high adaptation costs as a major concern, with estimates suggesting that many companies would have faced significant investment in equipment, system redesign and staff training to comply with a 100 % reuse mandate.<\/p>\n

The exemption is expected to reduce compliance complexity for logistics operations, although stakeholders focused on plastic pollution have expressed reservations about broad exemptions in EU reuse rules.<\/p>\n

Broader context of EU packaging reform<\/h2>\n

The PPWR represents a major overhaul of EU packaging policy, replacing earlier directives with a harmonised regulatory framework aimed at reducing packaging waste, increasing recycled content and encouraging reuse and recyclability across all Member States.<\/p>\n

Alongside reuse targets, the regulation includes measures for minimum recycled content in plastic packaging and mandatory recyclability by 2030.<\/p>\n

The Commission opened the delegated act to public feedback from 10 December 2025 to 9 January 2026 as part of standard EU rule-making procedures before final adoption on 25 February 2026.<\/p>\n

The implementation of the broader PPWR provisions will begin in August 2026 and extend towards the 2030 reuse and recycling targets.<\/p>\n

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