INTERPACK REVIEW


PPWR – THE DIGITAL PATH FROM REQUIREMENTS ASSESSMENT TO DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY


Reported live from interpack by Kennedy’s Confection, Tânia Dias da Costa of PACOON Sustainability Concepts GmbHoutlined how the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) is set to transform packaging compliance across Europe.


A


t interpack’s SPOTLIGHT Forum, Tânia Dias da Costa of PACOON Sustainability Concepts GmbH delivered a focused examination


of the operational implications surrounding the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation


(PPWR), positioning digital


compliance infrastructure as an increasingly necessary component of packaging development and market access. Presenting under the title “PPWR – the


digital path from requirements assessment to declaration of conformity”, Dias da Costa outlined the regulatory transition currently underway across the European packaging sector, with particular emphasis on conformity assessment, traceability, and the administrative burden likely to emerge as implementation milestones begin taking effect from 2025 onwards. The


session moved beyond broad


sustainability rhetoric, concentrating instead on the mechanics of compliance management and the extent to which packaging producers, converters, retailers, importers and brand owners will be required to substantiate conformity under the incoming framework. “Packaging placed on the European market


is already under regulation,” Dias da Costa told delegates. “We have different obligations and responsibilities for packaging manufacturers, suppliers, brand owners, retailers, importers and distributors.” Her presentation identified four principal


packaging streams affected under PPWR obligations: sales packaging, transport and e-commerce packaging, beverage packaging and HoReCa applications. Each category, she noted, carries distinct regulatory requirements and reporting responsibilities. Particular attention was given to the


declaration of conformity, which PACOON identified as one of the most immediate and commercially significant obligations emerging from the regulation. “The declaration of conformity is recognised


by market authorities,” Dias da Costa explained, noting that documentation requirements are


20 • KENNEDY’S CONFECTION • MAY 2026 The presentation spoke of the shift now taking


place within packaging development, where regulatory data management is beginning to sit alongside material selection and pack functionality as a core design consideration. Dias da Costa repeatedly returned to


the issue of complexity, particularly for companies operating across multiple packaging


formats and European


jurisdictions. “We need digital solutions to manage all these requirements,” she said. PACOON positioned its response around the development of digital compliance architecture


expected to become increasingly stringent as enforcement mechanisms mature across EU member states. Slides presented during the session


mapped the staged implementation timetable now confronting the industry. Following the regulation’s entry into force in February 2025, the first major compliance phase arrives in August 2026, incorporating obligations linked to substances of concern, labelling requirements and declarations of conformity. Subsequent phases will introduce tighter criteria relating to recyclability performance, recycled content quotas, reuse systems and recycling-at-scale verification through the 2030 horizon.


capable of consolidating regulatory assessment, conformity documentation and packaging data management within a single workflow environment. Demonstrations shown during the presentation highlighted tools designed to categorise packaging formats, identify applicable obligations, generate declarations of conformity and model future compliance scenarios against anticipated legislative developments. The company — which described itself as a pioneer in sustainable packaging systems since 2008 — also emphasised its recent expansion into IT-based compliance services, reflecting the increasing convergence between packaging engineering, sustainability governance and digital reporting systems. For many attendees, the presentation


underscored a growing industry reality: PPWR is not solely a materials challenge, but a documentation and systems challenge. The ability to evidence compliance through structured, accessible and continuously updated data may prove just as critical as the sustainability performance of the packaging itself. As implementation deadlines draw closer,


the sector faces an accelerating requirement to integrate regulatory intelligence directly into packaging development processes. PACOON’s presentation suggested that future competitiveness in the European market will depend not only on delivering recyclable or reusable formats, but on maintaining auditable conformity across increasingly complex regulatory conditions.


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