Regulation: EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (EU) 2025/40. Compiled October 2026.
From 2030, plastic packaging exported to the EU must contain 35% post-consumer recycled (PCR) content; rising to 65% from 2040.
| From | Minimum PCR | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| 2030 | 35% | "Other plastic packaging" (200L industrial drums fall here) |
| 2040 | 65% | Same |
Three critical details:
1. Only post-consumer counts: in-house regrind and edge trim do NOT count — the source must be post-consumer recycled material;
2. Timeline: effective 2030; implementing acts due by end of 2026 (if later than 2030-01-01, applies 36 months after the acts take effect);
3. Hazmat exemption: packaging for dangerous-goods transport is exempted under Article 7 — assess separately if you export hazmat drums.
"In-house regrind counts as recycled content"
→ No. PPWR recognizes only post-consumer; post-industrial does not count.
"2030 is far away"
→ Machine depreciation runs 8–10 years. A single-layer machine bought today will still be depreciating in 2030 — with compliance risk attached.
"The exemption covers ordinary chemical drums"
→ The exemption is for dangerous-goods transport packaging only, not ordinary industrial drums.
*References: Fieldfisher, Mondaq, GSTLH analyses. The official EU text prevails; this article is a commercial-selection reference, not legal advice.*
