From Wednesday, 12 August 2026, the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) will apply in Spain . From this date, packaging intended for contact with food may no longer be placed on the market if it contains certain concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). No general recall requirement applies to goods placed on the market before this cut-off date. The legal framework also sets out a multi-year roadmap introducing additional restrictions and requirements through to 2030 – including provisions intended to gradually restrict single-use formats such as ketchup sachets, miniature cream bottles, mandarin nets and can rings.
The regulation was politically agreed at the end of 2024 and entered into force in early 2025. Its aim is to reduce single-use waste, promote reuse and remove problematic substances from packaging. The implementation timetable now getting under way includes further steps in addition to the initial PFAS requirements. From 12 February 2027, for example, retailers selling hot or cold drinks to take away must allow customers to bring their own cups; a similar rule applies to takeaway food in reusable containers brought by customers. Labelling obligations and packaging design requirements will also be expanded in stages.
For Spain, the Ministerio para la Transición Ecológica has published a clarification on how the rules apply. The department notes that the PPWR will apply directly from 12 August 2026 and will be coordinated with national provisions where permitted, in particular with Real Decreto 1055/2022 on packaging and packaging waste. In the short term, businesses will chiefly need to check PFAS compliance and adapt their supply chains. Retailers and the hospitality sector must also make arrangements to accept reusable containers brought in by customers.
Outlook: Many detailed requirements will be specified over the coming years through delegated and implementing acts, each with its own deadlines. Further bans on certain single-use formats, as well as additional design and information requirements, will take effect by 2028 and 2030. Spain’s environmental administration plans to issue supporting guidance when new EU requirements are published. Consumers are likely to see takeaway services and return or reuse systems change gradually in particular.
Editor: Andreas M. Brucker (Article created with AI assistance).