Article 12 of Regulation (EU) 2025/40, the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation.
| Applies from | 12 August 2028, or 24 months after the Art. 12(6) or 12(7) acts, whichever is later |
|---|---|
| Binds | Manufacturers, importers, distributors |
| Evidence | LOCKED read in the EUR-Lex text |
The harmonized material-composition sorting label. Art. 12(1) reads from 12 August 2028 or 24 months from the entry into force of the implementing acts adopted under paragraphs 6 or 7, whichever is the latest, so it is two acts, not one, and 2028 is a floor rather than a fixed date. The Art. 12 act was statutorily due 12 August 2026 and has not been adopted. Transport packaging and packaging in a deposit return system are outside the obligation, except e-commerce packaging. Art. 12(9) is the provision that ends the standalone printed Green Dot, from 12 February 2027. It is permissive on whether EPR participation is identified at all and restrictive on how: where packaging in an EPR scheme is identified, that identification may be achieved only by a corresponding symbol in a QR code or other standardized open digital-marking technology. Art. 12(8) is the separate misleading-marks restriction. It applies from 12 August 2026 and widens on 12 August 2028, because it reaches only matters for which PPWR lays down harmonized labeling.