What has applied since 12 August 2026
Substance restrictions, producer information, the EU declaration of conformity, registration and marketplace obligations are already applicable – law in force, not an announcement.
PPWR applicable since 12 August 2026
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PPWR and the Digital Product Passport for packaging
The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) has applied since 12 August 2026 – substance limits, producer information and the EU declaration of conformity are already mandatory. The harmonised material label, by contrast, is still missing. This page sets out what applies now, what is still outstanding and where the Digital Product Passport ends and PPWR labelling begins.
PPWR applicable since 12 August 2026
shop.example.com/products/shipping-box-30x20x10
Shipping box 30 × 20 × 10 cm
1,49 €
(128)
Digital Product Passport (DPP)
EU-compliant · PPWR
Add to cart
Legal framework & timeline
The PPWR has applied since 2026 – the material label is still outstanding
The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (EU) 2025/40 has been generally applicable since 12 August 2026. Since then, what applies includes the substance restrictions under Article 5, the producer information with type, batch or serial number under Article 15, the EU declaration of conformity, the ban on misleading labelling, the registration obligation for producers and the verification obligations for online marketplaces under Article 45. What is still open is, of all things, the best-known element: the harmonised label for material and recyclability requires an implementing act of the European Commission that should have been in place by 12 August 2026. As at September 2026 it has not been adopted. Binding application only begins 24 months after its entry into force and therefore shifts back. QR codes for reusable packaging under Article 12(2) take effect from 12 February 2029 at the earliest.
PPWR applicable since
2026
Regulation (EU) 2025/40 (PPWR)
What the Digital Product Passport has to do with the PPWR – and what it does not
PPWR labelling is not a Digital Product Passport. The DPP under the Ecodesign Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 describes the product: materials, origin, repair information, evidence. PPWR labelling describes the packaging: material composition, correct waste stream, reusability. Two legal acts, two deadline logics, two chains of responsibility. The overlap lies in the underlying material data – and you maintain that in SolveDPP for the product passport anyway. SolveDPP creates the product passport; the software does not take on the PPWR labelling of your packaging.
Maintain material data once
Material composition, recycled content and origin are in the product passport anyway. You use the same data basis for your packaging documentation.
Robust claims instead of greenwashing
The ban on misleading claims also covers statements on the packaging. With verifiable material and recycled content data you substantiate what you put on the label.
Circularity data on the product
Provide recycled content, material separation and take-back routes in a traceable way – in the product passport, accessible to customers and retail at any time.
QR code for the product passport
Every article gets a public DPP page with a QR code. That is the data carrier of the product passport – not the future PPWR sorting label.
A clear boundary instead of promises
SolveDPP creates the Digital Product Passport under the ESPR. The sorting label, pictograms and registration under the PPWR remain a separate exercise in your company.
So sieht ein Digitaler Produktpass aus
This example shows the public DPP page of a shipping packaging, as customers, retail and authorities see it via QR code – the PPWR labelling itself remains separate from it.
Publicly accessible
Every item gets its own DPP URL – reachable without an app and without a login.
Material composition
Fibre types, recycled content and auxiliary materials broken down traceably.
Certificates & evidence
Certificates and test reports sit with the article as robust evidence.
dpp.solvedpp.com/p/pn-3020
Digitaler Produktpass
Corrugated shipping box 30 × 20 × 10 cm
Packwerk Nord · Art. no. PN-3020
Material
- Corrugated board (recycled paper) 82%
- Virgin fibre 14%
- Adhesive & printing ink 4%
Herkunft & Fertigung
- Paper production Lauenburg, Germany
- Corrugated board manufacturing Bremen, Germany
- Die-cutting & finishing Bremen, Germany
Nachweise
FSC® Recycled
Blue Angel
Disposal & circularity
Waste paper · fully recyclable · no plastic coating
Product identity
Name, brand and article number clearly assigned – with a QR code for the product passport.
Origin & manufacturing
Production steps from paper production to finishing – transparent at every stage.
Disposal & circularity
Waste stream and recyclability as the data basis – the PPWR labelling remains a separate step.
A compliant product passport in three steps
From data capture to the QR code on the product: SolveDPP guides your team through the DPP process in a structured way – without spreadsheet chaos and without an in-house IT project.
- 1
Capture data
Capture product, material and supply-chain data per item – manually, via CSV or Shopify import. AI auto-complete pre-fills recurring fields.
- 2
Validate
Field validation checks the mandatory data of the respective regulation and flags gaps – before the product passport is published. All changes remain versioned.
- 3
Publish
Each item gets a public DPP page with a QR code. End customers, retailers and authorities see the evidence directly on the product.
Frequently asked questions about the PPWR and packaging
Since when has the PPWR applied?
Regulation (EU) 2025/40 entered into force on 11 February 2025 and has been generally applicable since 12 August 2026. Since then, what applies includes the substance restrictions under Article 5, the producer information under Article 15, the EU declaration of conformity, the ban on misleading labelling, the registration obligation and the verification obligations for online marketplaces under Article 45. Further obligations follow in stages up to 2030 and beyond.
Does every packaging now need a QR code?
No. There is no general QR code obligation for packaging. For reusable packaging, Article 12(2) provides for a digital data carrier from 12 February 2029 at the earliest. The harmonised label for material and recyclability depends on an implementing act that the European Commission should have adopted by 12 August 2026; as at September 2026 it is not available. The obligation only begins 24 months after its entry into force, so the key date shifts back. Details are set out in the knowledge article “PPWR: QR code and labelling for packaging”.
Is PPWR labelling a Digital Product Passport?
No, and this confusion is the most common error of reasoning in practice. The Digital Product Passport under the Ecodesign Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 describes the product, while PPWR labelling describes the packaging. They are two separate legal acts with their own deadlines and their own responsible parties. An article may end up carrying both: the DPP data carrier on the product and the PPWR labelling on the polybag and box. What a Digital Product Passport is and which obligations follow from it in the online shop are explained in the introductory articles on the digital product passport and on the DPP in e-commerce.
Product data for the DPP and packaging in one place
See in a demo how SolveDPP documents the material, origin and recycled content data of your range – the data basis your packaging documentation also builds on.
