Knowledge base
EU packaging and product compliance, explained.
33 articles on the PPWR, the Digital Product Passport and the EU AI Act — what the rules require, who they apply to and what you have to be able to evidence.
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A grace period until 2028: what the industry associations are asking for
German retail association HDE wants a transition period until 1 January 2028, while a business alliance campaigns under “Stop the Clock”. What is being demanded, how likely it is, and what applies in the meantime.
8 min read · Updated September 2026
EU regulation · 7 min
Innovate or else: is the PPWR driving green innovation — or just red tape?
From 2028, even the sticker on an apple has to be compostable. The PPWR forces companies to get creative. But does that produce real innovation — or mostly new paperwork?
EU regulation · 6 min
Missed the LUCID registration? What to do now
Newly obliged producers had until 12 September 2026 to register; existing entries must be up to date by 12 November. How to catch up in Germany.
EU regulation · 6 min
PPWR fines in Germany: up to €200,000 per offence
Germany's VerpackDG sets what PPWR breaches cost: up to €200,000 per offence. Who is liable, who enforces, and from when each fine applies.
EU regulation · 8 min
PPWR: relief for small retailers proposed
Germany wants retailers below ten tonnes of packaging exempted from the authorised representative duty. What the proposal contains — and what applies until then.
EU regulation · 10 min
Producer or manufacturer? The PPWR roles
Producer and manufacturer are two roles with different obligations. Who carries which — and how you become a producer without meaning to.
EU regulation · 11 min
PPWR basics: the EU Packaging Regulation explained
What is the PPWR? Regulation (EU) 2025/40 at a glance: objectives, roles, packaging in scope, obligations and deadlines — explained in plain language.
EU regulation · 9 min
Digital Product Passport: the roadmap to 2030
Batteries 2027, textiles 2028, electronics 2029: which DPP deadlines are legally binding, which are merely planned — and how to tell them apart.
EU regulation · 14 min
AI Act delayed? What has applied since 2.8.2026
No, not everything is delayed: Art. 50 has applied since 2 August 2026, high-risk only from December 2027. All AI Act deadlines at a glance.
EU regulation · 8 min
Art. 50 AI Act: transparency obligations from 2026
Art. 50 of the AI Act imposes four transparency obligations on providers and deployers. Who owes what, which exemptions apply, what breaches cost.
EU regulation · 7 min
Labelling AI images and deepfakes: from 2026
Machine-readable marking by the provider, visible disclosure by the deployer: why two obligations run side by side for AI images.
Practice & tools · 7 min
Labelling AI text: the editorial exemption
Art. 50(4) only catches text on matters of public interest — and lifts the duty where editorial responsibility exists. What that means for marketing.
Digital Product Passport · 9 min
Digital Product Passport: run it yourself or outsource?
Does the manufacturer have to host the digital product passport itself? No — for the back-up copy the ESPR even requires an independent third-party service provider.
Evidence & documentation · 7 min
Technical documentation vs DoC: what goes in the dossier
Declaration of conformity under Annex VIII or technical documentation under Annex VII — what is the difference, what belongs where, and why the declaration is worthless without the documentation.
EU regulation · 9 min
PPWR labelling under Art. 12: the obligations
PPWR labelling under Art. 12: manufacturer details, the QR code myth and the EU material label from 2026 — explained concisely, with a checklist and timeline.
Circular economy · 9 min
Recyclability A, B or C? The PPWR grades
The PPWR grades recyclability as A, B or C. How to determine your grade, which one applies from 2030/2038 — with a threshold table and practice notes.
Circular economy · 9 min
Calculating recycled content: step by step
Calculating recycled content correctly under PPWR Art. 7: minimum quotas for 2030/2040, the formula per manufacturing plant and evidence in the DoC — step by step.
EU regulation · 8 min
German Packaging Act vs PPWR: what changes in 2026?
VerpackG or PPWR — what applies when? The key differences, the new obligations and why both apply in parallel, at a glance with a comparison table.
Practice & tools · 10 min
PPWR software compared: tools and how to choose
PPWR software compared: which tools produce declarations of conformity, which solution suits whom, and what to watch for when choosing.
Practice & tools · 8 min
PPWR from August 2026: what applies right away
PPWR from August 2026: what applies from 12.08.2026, and what only arrives in 2030? Immediate obligations, timeline and your next steps at a glance.
EU regulation · 8 min
PPWR existing stock: can you still sell old inventory?
PPWR grandfathering explained: packaging lawfully placed on the market before 12.08.2026 may continue to be sold off. What applies to existing stock?
Practice & tools · 9 min
PPWR checklist: ready in eight steps
A PPWR checklist for companies: eight concrete steps to being prepared by 12.08.2026. What you have to do now — practical and step by step.
EU regulation · 8 min
PPWR penalties and fines: what you actually risk
PPWR penalties and fines explained: how high sanctions run, from when they bite, and why a ban on sale often weighs heavier than the money.
Praxis & Tools · 8 min
PPWR declaration of conformity: template (Annex VIII)
PPWR declaration of conformity template: every mandatory field under Annex VIII (Art. 39), why blank templates are risky and how to draw up the DoC safely.
EU regulation · 9 min
PPWR: how to read Brussels’ climbdown
The PPWR has applied since 12 August 2026 — and the Commission recommends not sanctioning parts of it for now. What that means in practice.
Sectors · 10 min
The PPWR in footwear and fashion
Shoe box, tissue paper, shipping carton: which PPWR duties hit footwear and fashion, who counts as the manufacturer and what happens to empty space in 2030.
Digitalisation · 9 min
Product data after the sale: the blind spot
Brands measure everything up to checkout and nothing after it. What a scan touchpoint delivers, what it decides — and where the limits are.
Digitalisation · 10 min
The QR code on your packaging: duty and opportunity
The digital data carrier on packaging arrives in stages. What actually becomes mandatory, when — and why more than a PDF belongs behind it.
EU regulation · 7 min
The EmpCo Directive: an end to greenwashing
The EmpCo Directive (EU) 2024/825 bans misleading environmental claims. What applies to your packaging and marketing from September 2026.
Digitalisation · 6 min
Digital Product Passport (DPP): what is coming
The EU-wide Digital Product Passport makes product data transparent by QR code. How it works, who it affects and how to prepare.
Practice & tools · 5 min
A Declaration of Conformity in minutes: the DOC generator
The declaration of conformity is mandatory — but it need not be paperwork. How to produce DoCs from existing data: structured, complete and audit-proof.
Sustainability · 5 min
CSRD & ESG: when compliance data becomes reporting
Packaging data from the PPWR feeds straight into the sustainability report. How to run PPWR compliance and CSRD reporting from one source.
Circular economy · 6 min
Recyclability: designing packaging for the loop
From 2030 all packaging in the EU has to be recyclable. What design for recycling means concretely and how to assess your packaging.
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Generate PPWR evidence instead of chasing it.
Reguly turns packaging data into the declaration of conformity, the technical dossier and the volume report — from one data set.