Digital Printing
Packaging redesign under EU PPWR: Why digital print is at the heart of
compliance and creativity By Simon Buswell, sales & marketing director, Eco Flexibles
local market variations and shorter design cycles, and the path forward lies in suppliers being agile.
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cross the packaging sector, there’s a clear sense that we’re on the edge of another major change, not just in how we design packaging for brand customers, but in how we think about its role altogether.
The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), introduced by the EU and coming into eff ect from mid-2026, is the most signifi cant regulatory shift our industry has seen in decades. It’s a well-intentioned, much-needed update, focused on cutting packaging waste, raising the bar on recyclability and building a more circular economy. However, with that shift comes a signifi cant practical challenge, one that’s rapidly moving up brand agendas and landing squarely in our corner of the value chain: packaging redesign.
WHY PACKAGING TEAMS ARE NOW FACING A RETHINK
The PPWR sets mandatory new labelling requirements for packaging in the EU. Replacing fractured and inconsistent rules from one European country to another, every pack sold within the European Union will need to carry new standardised pictograms, showing the material used and its disposal route. Reusable formats will need extra labels for usage tracking and in many cases, the same pack will need to communicate in multiple languages.
To make matters more complex, there’s also a requirement to integrate scannable QR codes, giving consumers access to extended digital information such as product reuse, recycling guidance, or environmental credentials. It’s a tall order. For most packaging teams, the reality is that few current packaging designs, even those updated recently, will be fully compliant. Add to that the broader pressures of SKU expansion, seasonal lines,
DIGITAL PRINT AS A STRATEGIC TOOL Digital print has come into its own in recent years. Not because it’s new, as many of us have been championing it for years, but because the global market has fi nally caught up to what it’s uniquely good at: fast, fl exible, waste-effi cient short run production that adapts easily to change. Flexography and gravure printing will always have an important place in high-volume production, but when it comes to PPWR compliance - when you need to update label content regularly, adapt layouts for multiple languages, integrate QR codes, or trial layout variations without losing time - digital printing gives you control at a pace traditional methods just can’t match. With technologies like the Fujifi lm Jet Press FP790, which we run two of at Eco Flexibles, we’re now able to off er full-colour CMYK printing with exceptional consistency and colour accuracy, without the delays of extended set up times, plate creation or the challenge of solvent disposal. This means that for our brand customers, we can create compliant designs quickly, turn them around in record speed, update packaging between production runs and trial label layouts or graphics with minimal wasted material. The result of this is packaging that’s faster to market, easier to localise and better aligned with the PPWR’s core aims of sustainability and transparency.
DESIGN TRADE-OFFS BECOME MORE COMPLEX
As a fast-growing converter working with FMCG brands, we also see the practical knock-on eff ects of PPWR labelling on creative packaging design. With new mandatory pictograms, QR codes and language-specifi c disposal guidance all vying for space on pack, design teams are suddenly working with less room for traditional brand assets. That means bolder thinking, a more deliberate hierarchy and better synergy between brand, compliance and consumer experience.
Digital print opens creative space back up with on-demand, short-run fl exibility. It enables iterative design testing, market-specifi c versioning and
pre-retail validation, all critical for today’s brands navigating a more complicated visual landscape.
THE ROLE WE PLAY AS PRINTER CONVERTERS For our team at Eco Flexibles, the shift isn’t more technical, it’s relational. Converters have an unmissable opportunity to go beyond the historical role of supplier and instead, be a proactive compliance partner.
That means helping brands make sense of the regulations. It means working hand-in-hand with design teams to place mandatory content eff ectively, without compromising identity. And it means using digital and fl exo hybrid capabilities to recommend the right print method for each stage - whether it’s speed, scale or sustainability that matters most.
It also means doing this with environmental responsibility baked in from the beginning. Digital print technologies like ours use water-based inks, reduce energy, minimise waste and drastically reduce overproduction. These are value-aligned decisions that help brands meet the spirit of the PPWR, not just the letter.
LET’S NOT WASTE THE MOMENT At its heart, the PPWR is a moment of enforced progress. For brands willing to move early and rethink their approach, it’s an opportunity to build smarter, leaner, more consumer-informed packaging that’s built for the future.
As print and packaging experts, it’s up to teams like Eco Flexibles to make that journey as smooth as possible and to ensure that regulatory compliance doesn’t just become another deadline to hit, but a springboard for better packaging. And with digital print in the mix, we’re already one step ahead.
www.convertermag.com
April 2026
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