PPWR Labeling: What Must Be Printed on Your Packaging?
Material identification, manufacturer identity, size marking — and new labels coming in 2028 and 2029. A practical breakdown of PPWR marking requirements.
Labeling is the most visible part of packaging compliance — and the most often guessed at. Importers routinely ask us what must be printed on their tableware packaging under the PPWR, and the honest answer is: the full marking picture is still being completed, but the core obligations are already clear. Here is what applies now and what is coming.
The baseline that applies from 12 August 2026 is the material identification marking. Packaging placed on the EU market must carry the identification of its packaging material — the standard material identification system (the familiar resin/material codes used across the EU). For fibre-based products such as paper, board and molded pulp, this means the appropriate material code that tells sorting facilities and recyclers what the item is made of.
Next is manufacturer identity. The PPWR requires packaging to identify the manufacturer; where the manufacturer is established outside the EU, the EU importer or authorised representative must be identifiable. In practice, buyers should ensure that the packaging — or its accompanying documentation and labelling — clearly shows who is responsible in the EU, because that is who market surveillance will contact.
Size marking applies where relevant: packaging that is sold by volume or weight must state the nominal volume or weight. For food-service disposables this is typically the capacity marking (for example the millilitre volume of a cup or bowl).
What is coming next? From 2028-2029, the marking regime expands: recyclability labelling requirements are being introduced through the PPWR's implementing measures, and in 2029 the new harmonized label for packaging will be specified. The trajectory is clear — labels will carry more compliance information, not less. Products that comply with the 2026 baseline will still need to be re-labelled as the new measures land.
What does this mean for a buyer today? Three things. First, ask your supplier which material code is printed on the product and verify it matches the actual material. Second, confirm the EU responsible party is identifiable on the packaging or its labelling. Third, plan for label changes in 2028-2029 — a supplier who is tracking the regulation will update your artwork automatically; a supplier who is not will surprise you later.
At PPWR, our molded pulp tableware carries the correct material identification, and every order includes the labelling documentation you need for your market. Combined with our food-contact and compostability certificates, that is the labeling side of compliance handled — so you can focus on selling, not on deciphering regulations.
See the full labeling checklist in our guide, or read about the 2030 requirements that will affect your labels next.