No Regrets Playbook: A tool to make your plastic packaging PPWR-compliant today — with no regrets
The European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) has published 14 new standards on the recyclability of plastic packaging. These standards, developed in the framework of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), require manufacturers to meet precise recyclability criteria for their plastic packaging by 2030. Packaging that does not comply will no longer be allowed on the market.
For each plastic type, so-called traffic light tables have been developed to assess recyclability. From 2030 onwards, packaging will fall into one of three categories:
🟢 Green: encouraged
🟡 Yellow: permitted but not ideal
🔴 Red: banned from the market
These standards are now entering a revision period during which they will be updated to take into account innovations in collection, sorting and recycling. The updated standards are expected to be published in the course of 2028, in order to determine whether packaging can still be placed on the European market in 2030, which recyclability grade it falls into — and therefore what EPR fee will apply.
A deadline that may seem distant, but one that arrives quickly within product development cycles. Industry professionals therefore often ask the same question: should you wait until all the definitive criteria are published before taking action? The answer is no.
The temptation to wait for the final texts is understandable — but it is risky. There is already sufficient convergence between the various reference frameworks to act with confidence. Our role is to help industry avoid losing this precious time.
To help companies make packaging design decisions for PPWR-compliant plastic packaging today, Fost Plus and Valipac, in collaboration with Verpact (Netherlands), Citeo (France), Green Dot Norway and NPA Sweden, have developed the No Regrets Playbook for plastic packaging. The Playbook is based on a thorough comparison of existing guidelines on plastic recyclability and the published European standards for plastic packaging. The result is a set of solid, widely endorsed design choices that can be applied today — with concrete examples of well-designed packaging and packaging to be avoided.
The Playbook is freely available on the Fost Plus website (URL to be added). The CEN standards (EN 18120) are subject to copyright and available for purchase through the Belgian Bureau for Standardisation. Companies that have purchased these standards can contact Fost Plus for support with their interpretation and application. More information on the European standards for plastic packaging (EN 18120) is available on the website of the Belgian Bureau for Standardisation.
Fost Plus is currently working with EPR organisations on a No Regrets Playbook for other packaging materials. Publication is expected in autumn 2026.