REDUCE

Less is more

The first strategy is also the most fundamental: prevent packaging that is not necessary. Article 43 of the PPWR (2025/040) introduces concrete reduction targets for the first time:

• By 2030, the total volume of packaging waste per capita must be reduced by 5%;
• By 2035, by 10%;
• And by 2040, by 15%.

It is important to realise that these percentages are relative to the year 2018. In practice, packaging volumes have already increased significantly since then. So the reductions required to meet these targets are actually much higher than the percentages suggest.

But reduction doesn’t just apply on a macro level. Even for individual packaging (see Article 10), the principle is clear: if it can be lighter, smaller, or free of unnecessary elements, then it must be. The regulation refers to this as the principle of “minimal packaging”: no excess air, no double boxes, no unnecessary wraps. Every gram counts.

And this is not optional: in Annex V, the PPWR explicitly lists several packaging types that are considered superfluous and will simply no longer be allowed as of 2030. Reduce is therefore not just the first guiding principle — it is a firmly embedded element of the regulation.

It’s simple logic: less material = less waste. But it directly affects design, logistics, and marketing — and with that, cost, visibility, and ease of use. Are we perhaps overlooking a hidden potential here? Not only ecological, but also financial. Less material often also means lower costs — not just for the material itself, but also in storage, transport, and handling. All areas where reduction translates directly into efficiency and savings. And in times of rising costs, shouldn’t that be a welcome bonus?

REUSE

The forgotten hero

Reusable packaging is the indispensable second step in the strategy. What cannot be avoided should ideally be used again and again. Think of returnable cups, refill systems, deposit schemes, reusable trays, bags, totes, and so on.

Every package that can go another round effectively saves a whole new package. In a sense, one could consider it the ultimate form of recycling: the product remains intact, the material is not reprocessed, there is no energy-intensive remanufacturing. A pure win.

And yet, it receives relatively little attention. Reuse requires collaboration across the supply chain, return logistics, cleaning capacity – and that makes it complex. Additionally, it rarely generates direct revenue. There is no tradable "recyclate" as there is in recycling. Reuse is about preserving value, not producing new raw material. That may be why it receives less practical attention than it deserves. And that is unfortunate, because in some cases, reuse can be a highly effective alternative.

RECYCLE

The visible favourite

The third strategy — recycling — gets the most attention. That’s understandable: recyclate is tangible, tradable, and visible. There is a well-established infrastructure, and the circular logic is easy to explain: waste becomes raw material.

But in the European approach, recycling is the final step. Only once reduction and reuse options are exhausted should recycling come into play. This is not to discredit recycling, but rather to rebalance its dominance in the conversation. Because in many discussions, recycling seems to be the only topic that matters. Even packaging innovations are often judged solely on their recyclability — while the first two strategies are overlooked entirely.

Recycling is important. But it must be important for the right reason: because it catches the waste we could not prevent or reuse — not because it excuses us from making better decisions earlier on.