PPWR and the future of recyclable packaging
The EU’s new PPWR legislation (Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation) is changing how packaging is designed, produced and recycled in Europe. The aim is to reduce the amount of packaging waste and strengthen the circular economy through stricter requirements for recycling, material selection and design.
Among other things, PPWR means that all packaging placed on the EU market must be recyclable by 2030 and that materials, construction and labelling must be designed to work within established recycling systems.
PPWR also requires packaging to be designed for efficient sorting and recycling. This means that material combinations that make recycling more difficult will be phased out while solutions that support Design for Recycling will become increasingly important.
KURZ aligned with PPWR
No plastic film is transferred
In hot stamping and cold foiling, the polyester film only acts as a carrier. It is not transferred to the packaging but remains in the production process. The result is that no plastic film is left on the finished packaging.
Ultra-thin metal layer
The metallic layer that is transferred is extremely thin, around 20 nanometres (0.02 µm). That corresponds to approximately 0.00002 millimetres, which is thousands of times thinner than a human hair. The actual amount of metal on the packaging is therefore very small.
Sorted and recycled
Independent tests* show that packaging with KURZ decoration can be sorted and recycled in standardised recycling systems for paper and board, provided the decoration follows established guidelines for a maximum coverage area of 70% of the packaging.
Material-efficient decoration
The decoration is applied only where the design requires it. This means material use is very low compared with, for example, metallised laminates where the entire surface is covered. The result is lower material consumption with the right conditions for recycling.
Premium design in a circular packaging economy
PPWR does not mean that decorative effects will disappear from packaging. It does mean, however, that decoration must be used in a more considered way.
With decoration solutions from KURZ, printers and packaging producers can create packaging that combines:
- premium feel with strong visual impact
- efficient use of materials
- compatibility with modern recycling systems
The result is packaging that both strengthens the brand and meets the sustainability requirements of the future.
Please feel free to contact us for more information about how the KURZ range can be used in PPWR-adapted production.