PPWR Update: Week of July 27, 2026

Regulatory & Policy  |  July 29, 2026

With two weeks to go, three points sit in the detail rather than the headline dates. First, recyclability. The A, B, C grades are a 2030 obligation, but the recyclability requirement itself is not: the Commission guidance states that Article 6(1) "applies from 12 August 2026," with compliance measured against the old Directive and EN 13430:2004 until the Article 6(4) act lands. Second, stock. There is no transitional period for exhausting stocks, but packaging already placed on the market "may remain on the market and does not need to be withdrawn," and placing on the market is the transfer of ownership or possession, with imports timestamped at release for free circulation. Third, the previous Directive. Article 70 repeals Directive 94/62/EC from August 12 but keeps parts of it running to 2028 and 2029, and Decision 97/129/EC on material identification codes survives to August 2028. The full detail, with citations, is on the Prepare for PPWR tab. Sources: Reg (EU) 2025/40 Arts. 6, 70; Commission Notice C/2026/3084, June 10, 2026 [LOCKED].

Regulatory & Policy  |  July 27, 2026

Two live deposit return systems published performance data this month. Romania's RetuRO reported more than 2.4 billion containers returned in the first half of 2026, an 82 percent return rate, up three points year on year, with coverage now reaching 92 percent of localities above 1,500 inhabitants. Portugal's Volta, live since April 10, 2026, passed 100 million containers returned and an estimated 38 percent collection rate by the end of July, running more than 2,500 automated collection points. Both figures matter as benchmarks for the member states that must stand up a system by January 1, 2029 under Article 50. Source: RetuRO H1 2026 barometer, July 27, 2026; SDR Portugal, July 21, 2026 [SIGNALED].