The PPWR Document Pack: 5 Files Every EU Buyer Must Request
Since August 2026, compliance is documented, not claimed. These are the five files that separate a compliant packaging supplier from a risk — and how to verify each one.
On 12 August 2026, the PPWR changed the rules of B2B packaging procurement. From that day, no packaging type may be placed on the EU market without a valid Declaration of Conformity and complete technical documentation. The consequence for buyers: the supplier conversation is no longer about promises, it is about files. If a supplier cannot produce them, that supplier is a market-access risk, whatever the price list says.
Here are the five documents you should request before committing to any packaging supplier — and the checks that tell you whether each one is real.
1. EU Declaration of Conformity (DoC). The master document, signed by the manufacturer or, for non-EU producers, the importer or authorised representative established in the EU. It names the packaging type, lists the PPWR articles complied with, and references the technical file. Check: who signed, which articles are listed, and whether the document is specific to the product you are ordering — a DoC for "paper packaging" in general is worth little.
2. Technical documentation. The evidence behind the DoC: test results from an accredited laboratory, material specifications, and the assessments that support each compliance claim. Under the PPWR, this documentation must be held per packaging type, not per product line — if a packaging type has no test result on file, it is treated as non-compliant. Check: are the test reports issued by an accredited lab, do they name the exact product and batch, and are they current?
3. Compostability or recyclability certificate. For fibre-based products, this is usually an EN 13432 certificate for industrial compostability, or documentation on how the product integrates into existing recycling streams. Check: the certificate should name the specific product, be issued by an accredited testing body, and be current — a recycled certificate number from another supplier is a classic red flag.
4. Food-contact statement. In Europe, food contact materials must comply with Regulation (EC) 1935/2004 as the baseline; many buyers in Germany additionally ask for LFGB documentation. Check: the statement should explicitly cover your target market and the finished product — coating, ink and adhesive are all part of the food-contact equation.
5. Restricted-substances declaration. Under the PPWR, packaging must comply with restrictions on heavy metals (cadmium, lead, mercury, hexavalent chromium) and, for food-contact paper, on PFAS. Ask for a written declaration plus the supporting test reports, not just a checkbox. Check: does the report test the actual material you are buying, and what method was used (for example total fluorine vs. targeted PFAS analysis)?
How to use the pack: request the five files before the first order, not after the first problem. Cross-check the DoC against the technical documentation — the article list on the DoC should match the evidence in the file. Keep dated copies for your own records: in the PPWR era, market surveillance can ask you to demonstrate conformity for packaging you placed on the market, and a file you kept is a defence you own.
At PPWR we treat this as the standard way of doing business. Every product line in our catalog — from sugarcane pulp bowls and plates to compostable lunch boxes and paper cups — ships with the EU Declaration of Conformity, EN 13432 compostability documentation, food-contact certification (FDA and LFGB) and PFAS-free declarations. Request the document pack with your quotation, and you will see what a documented supply chain looks like.
Not sure where to start? Read our overview of the regulation's timeline, or browse our certified compostable tableware range to see the documents attached to each product.