PPWR Puts Right-sized Boxes at the Center of Europe’s Circular Packaging Future

The European Union's new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) is set to reshape how cardboard boxes-and all fiber-based packaging-are designed, used, and recycled across member states. Aiming to reduce waste, drive circularity, and cut carbon emissions, the PPWR introduces strict requirements on recyclability, reuse, and minimum recycled content. For cardboard boxes in particular, the regulation highlights their role as one of the most widely recycled packaging formats, while also pushing producers and brands to further optimize box sizing, material efficiency, and end-of-life recovery. In this context, paper and cardboard packaging are positioned not just as sustainable alternatives to plastics, but as central players in meeting Europe's 2030 packaging reduction and recycling targets.

While this wide-ranging regulation is being driven for EU member states, it will also have an effect on manufacturers from non-member countries that export to those countries; and in fact, some US states are already adopting similar, if not quite so sweeping regulations. The PPWR largely focuses on reducing the consumption of single-use plastic, while increasing the use of recycled plastic in packaging. But, over and above that, it elevates the use of paper and cardboard with a requirement that all packaging used in the EU will be designed to be 100% recyclable by 1 January 2030.

Further, the regulation will demand that economic operators who supply products to a final distributor or end user in grouped packaging, transport, or e-commerce packaging must ensure that the ratio of empty space between the aforementioned packaging and the sales packaging does not exceed 50%. Please note that space filled by filling materials, such as paper cuttings, air cushions, bubble wraps, sponge fillers, foam fillers, wood wool, polystyrene or Styrofoam chips, shall be considered as empty space. In short, without solutions to effectively rightsize packaging at scale, logistics operations are at risk of incurring penalties that will soon be coming into force.

What are the Key Impacts for OEMs, Logistics and End-of-line Shippers Using Cardboard in the EU?

All Packaging Must Be Designed To Be Recyclable by 1 January 2030.

Under Article 6 of the PPWR, all packaging placed on the market must be designed to be 100% recyclable by the 1^st of January 2030, with interim requirements beginning in 2025. Packaging must not only be technically recyclable, but also capable of being collected, sorted, and reprocessed at scale. The regulation sets a goal that by 31 December 2025, 65% of all packaging waste must be recycled, with specific material targets such as 75% for paper and cardboard, 70% for glass, 70% for ferrous metals, 50% for aluminum, and 50% for plastics. For shippers using cardboard boxes to fulfill orders, this means designing for mono-material use, minimizing coatings, and ensuring adhesives and inks do not contaminate the recycling stream. By 31 December 2030, 55% of plastic packaging and 85% of paper and cardboard must be recycled.

The PPWR also defines criteria for "high-quality recycling," requiring that at least 70-80% of the recovered material can be turned back into equivalent or higher-value applications. Cardboard and paperboard boxes are considered high-quality recyclables because they can be reprocessed multiple times into new fiber products while retaining structural integrity. Other high-quality categories include glass, aluminum, steel, and PET bottles, which can all be recycled with little loss of performance. By contrast, low-quality recyclables-such as composite laminates or heavily treated papers-often result in downcycling into lower-value applications. Exceptions remain for plastics where no alternatives exist, such as thin barrier films for food safety, but even here the regulation requires that these plastics be minimal in weight (typically under 5% of the total packaging mass) and designed not to obstruct the recyclability of the primary material, like cardboard.

Minimization of Packaging

Under Article 10 of the PPWR, economic operators, which include manufacturers, importers, packers, and distributors, are held responsible for how efficiently products are packed when supplied to final distributors or end users. Specifically, when goods are shipped in grouped packaging, transport packaging, or e-commerce packaging, the regulation stipulates that the ratio of empty space between the outer packaging and the actual sales packaging must not exceed 50% and the space filled by filling materials, such as paper cuttings, air cushions, bubble wraps, sponge fillers, foam fillers, wood wool, polystyrene or Styrofoam chips, shall be considered empty space. This provision is designed to reduce unnecessary void fill, oversized boxes, and wasted shipping volumes. By limiting empty space, the EU aims to cut down on packaging material use, decrease waste, improve vehicle load efficiency, and lower carbon emissions across the supply chain.

How Will This Affect Businesses?

The 50% empty space rule under the PPWR will have a direct impact on how businesses across multiple sectors design and execute their packaging strategies. For retailers and e-commerce operators, the regulation means reevaluating current packaging practices where oversized boxes and excess void fill are common. Meeting compliance will require investment in new packaging equipment, staff training, and potentially higher upfront costs for automation or custom box systems. However, in the long term, businesses can benefit from reduced material use, optimized freight costs, and lower carbon footprints-factors that increasingly influence customer loyalty and brand reputation.

For industrial and automotive parts shippers, the challenge is even more complex. These sectors often deal with irregularly shaped, heavy, or fragile items that require additional cushioning and protective materials. Historically, shipping practices have leaned on using large boxes with extensive void fill to simplify logistics. Under the PPWR, these approaches will no longer be acceptable if empty space exceeds 50%. As a result, industrial and automotive suppliers will need to adopt more precise packaging design and engineering solutions-including modular inserts, custom corrugated fittings, or even additive-manufactured dunnage-to minimize void space while ensuring safe delivery. Though compliance may initially increase costs and operational complexity, businesses that adapt will benefit from more efficient warehouse utilization, lower transport emissions per unit shipped, and reduced damage rates, which together can offset the expense of transitioning to compliant packaging systems.

How to Address the Challenges of PPWR

Ranpak has spent over 50 years solving packaging problems globally and across a variety of industry verticals, resulting in a comprehensive line of paper converters and automated solutions tuned to creating efficiency and productivity in mass fulfillment using paper and cardboard materials. Ranpak's teams of experts analyze, simulate, and deliver scalable solutions that address:

• Package rightsizing & automation
• Reduction in packaging waste
• Packaging productivity
• Sustainability and recyclability
• Usage of recycled materials

Automated Rightsizing

In response to the PPWR, many businesses are looking for solutions that can help them both reduce packaging voids and increase the throughput of their packaging lines. Ranpak's approach to end-of-line packaging automation features intelligent rightsizing via the Cut'it! family of machines, with the Cut'it!™ EVO serving as a great example. This solution measures the voids in each box before identifying the highest point of filling then cutting, folding, and sealing flaps with a glued lid. Able to reduce up to 40% of a package's volume, it has long served as a core part of Ranpak's automation offerings for clients looking to both embrace the recyclability of paper and cardboard while adopting solutions that can deliver lower total cost of ownership and fast return on investment.

Learn more about automated rightsizing

Embracing Paper Packaging Materials

Meeting recyclability thresholds becomes a lot easier when brands leverage the 100% recyclable power of paper for packaging. Ranpak's paper void fill, cushioning, wrapping, mailers, and cold chain solutions allow products to gain additional protection within a box without adding non-recyclable materials to packing configurations. Available in different paper grades ranging from fresh fibers to fully recycled, there is a converter and paper combination to meet any need within a box.

Learn more about paper packaging solutions

Our packaging engineers will work to provide the ideal configuration for your needs.

• In-depth analysis of packaging configurations
• Package testing for quality and performance assurance against your current set up
• Ergonomic considerations to improve the efficiency of the packing line
• A team committed to operational success and delivering value across the equipment lifecycle and beyond

Visit Ranpak's Contact page to schedule a complimentary analysis and a consultation with an automation specialist to understand just how straightforward it is to develop compliance with PPWR.