The PPWR (Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation), set to enter into force in 2026, will represent a radical shift for the entire EU value chain. The risks affect not only packaging, but the entire packaging value chain.
Pro Food, which represents the leading European producers of plastic food packaging—with 14 companies and 29 production plants—has recently shown the proactivity of a sector that has long invested in sustainability. The industry has been working for years on developing a circular economy model based on growing and significant shares of recycled materials in products placed on the market.
In view of the coming regulatory scenario, the association has presented studies, research and initiatives aimed at providing objective scientific foundations—largely absent from the regulation’s impact assessment. It has offered arguments to limit or avoid potential harm from the PPWR, with the goal of protecting and supporting the entire value chain. Pro Food has also launched communication campaigns targeting the agri-food industry to highlight the positive aspects of plastic use, backed by scientific data rather than ideological views.
RELATED NEWS: Pro Food turns to sport to spread the message on the benefits of plastic packaging
Although it accounts for only 1.5% of the plastic packaging used in the food industry, the PPWR will have a particularly significant impact on the fruit and vegetable sector.
Pro Food commissioned the study “Fruit and vegetables and primary packaging: a preliminary study of environmental impact from field to fork”, carried out by the Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences (DISAFA) at the University of Turin. The study analysed the impact of fresh produce packaging using a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach, evaluating the product’s full journey from the field to the consumer’s table.
As Mauro Salini, President of Pro Food, explains: “Our study shows that rPET packaging performs very well environmentally compared to other materials and helps extend product shelf life, thereby reducing food waste.”
