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New EU packaging rules: what they mean for you

The short version

  • New EU packaging rules are now in force. They aim to cut packaging waste — packaging sold in the EU must become recyclable, right-sized and properly labelled, and someone has to pay recycling fees on it.

  • For orders you sell through Wolf & Badger into the EU, we take care of the registration and the recycling fees. You don’t need to set up EU packaging registrations for your Wolf & Badger sales.
  • You are responsible for the packaging itself being compliant. A few things are required right now — most importantly, holding an EU Declaration of Conformity for your packaging, using safe materials, and keeping packaging claims honest.

What’s changing, and why

The EU is bringing in one big set of packaging rules (the Packaging & Packaging Waste Regulation, or PPWR) to reduce packaging waste across Europe. Alongside it, each EU country already runs a recycling scheme funded by the businesses that put packaging on the market — this is called EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility).

In practice it means two things over the next few years: packaging has to be better designed (recyclable, no more than it needs to be, made with some recycled content, and clearly labelled), and recycling fees are paid on the packaging that reaches EU shoppers.

 

Who does what

Wolf & Badger handles: You are responsible for:
  • Registering as producer for EU packaging EPR
  • Paying the recycling (eco-) fees on your W&B EU orders
  • Reporting packaging volumes to the schemes
  • Your packaging being safe & legal (materials)
  • Holding a Declaration of Conformity for it
  • Honest packaging claims
  • Moving to compliant packaging by the deadlines

 

What you need to do now (from Aug 2026)

These apply to the packaging you already use — they're in force now, so please make sure you're covered:

  1. Use safe packaging materials. Your packaging must not exceed the EU limit on heavy metals (lead, cadmium, mercury and chromium VI combined). Standard paper, card and mailer packaging from reputable suppliers will normally already meet this — it's mainly a check that nothing hazardous is present.
  2. Hold an EU Declaration of Conformity for your packaging. This is a short signed statement, backed by a simple technical file, confirming your packaging meets the EU rules. Your packaging supplier can usually provide the underlying information, and for standard packaging it's straightforward. Keep it for 5 years (10 for reusable packaging), and be ready to send it to us if we ask. (See the section below.)
  3. Make sure your packaging identifies you. It should show your brand name (or trademark), a registered business address, and a batch or product reference — on the packaging, its label, or the documents that come with it. This is for traceability, so a regulator can identify who made the packaging — it's not a customer-service contact.
  4. Keep packaging claims honest. Don't label packaging "recyclable", "recycled", "compostable" or "biodegradable" unless it genuinely meets the rules and you can back it up. Unsubstantiated eco-claims are restricted.
  5. Share packaging details with us when we ask. Mainly what your packaging is made of and roughly its weight — we use this for the EPR reporting we do on your behalf.

 

The Declaration of Conformity

What it is?: A short signed statement — one page, with a simple backup file — saying "this packaging meets the EU packaging rules." Under the new regulation, any packaging placed on the EU market needs one. You (the maker of the packaged product) are responsible for it, but your packaging supplier normally holds most of the evidence — so it's often just a case of getting the details from them and keeping the declaration on file.

How many do you need? Count your unique packaging combinations, not your products.

Everything you ship in the same set-up is one combination = one declaration, however many products or sizes go in it. For example:

1. Kraft bag + tissue + paper tape = 1 declaration
2. Gift box + poly bag = 1 declaration

So a brand that uses both of those set-ups needs 2 declarations in total — one for each combination. You only add another when the set-up is genuinely different in its materials. Most brands will have just one or two — never one per product. (Different sizes of the same box, in the same material, still count as one.)


What goes in each declaration. Our template does the layout for you — you fill in the brackets. It covers:

  • A reference number — any number you choose, so the declaration can be identified (e.g. WB-DOC-2026-001).
  • Your details (the "manufacturer") — your brand's legal name, registered business address, and a business contact. For traceability, not customer service.
  • The packaging itself — each component and what it's made of (mailer, tissue, tape…), with a rough weight for each. This is the main part you fill in.
  • A conformity statement — that the packaging meets Regulation (EU) 2025/40. (Standard wording, already in the template.)
  • What you're relying on — usually just your supplier's material declaration; a standard or test report if you have one.
  • Substances confirmation — that the heavy-metals limit is met.
  • A signature — a name, job title, place and date.

How do I provide this information?

We've made this easy: download the Wolf & Badger Declaration of Conformity template, fill in the brackets, delete the notes, and sign. If you're not sure whether you already have one, ask your packaging supplier first — and we can point you in the right direction.

What's coming, and when (2028–2030)

These are the design changes. None needs action today, but they're worth designing towards now so nothing's a scramble later:

When What it means for you
Feb 2028 Right-size your packaging. Sales packaging must be reduced to the minimum needed — no oversized boxes or excess filler/tissue.
Aug 2028 New EU packaging label. Packaging must carry a harmonised EU label showing what it's made of (to help sorting). It replaces some national labels (e.g. France's Triman). We'll tell you exactly what's needed.
Jan 2030 Recyclable, minimal, recycled. Packaging must be recyclable by design, contain a minimum amount of recycled content (plastics), be minimised, and — for outer/e-commerce packaging — stay under a 50% empty-space limit. A few specific packaging formats are banned.

If you use reusable packaging within a returns system, a reusable-packaging label also applies from 2029. Dates are set by the EU and may shift; we'll flag anything that affects you well ahead.

 

Getting ready — a few simple steps

  1. Get your Declaration of Conformity in place (step 2 above) — the single most useful thing to sort now.
  2. Audit your packaging — list each component (mailer, box, tissue, void fill, poly bag, ribbon, stickers), what it's made of, and roughly its weight. This is also the info we'll ask you for.
  3. Move towards recyclable, single-material packaging — avoid hard-to-recycle mixes (plastic-coated paper, PVC, metallic film).
  4. Right-size and cut filler — use packaging that fits the product; reduce tissue and void fill.
  5. Add recycled content where you can, and keep any eco-claims accurate.

 

If you have any questions about these changes, please contact our Brand Support Team.