Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR): What Online Retailers Need to Know

Running an online store has never been more demanding. In addition to managing orders, taxes, invoices, and international shipping, merchants now need to prepare for new packaging requirements across the European Union.

The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) introduces a new legal framework designed to reduce packaging waste, improve recyclability, and promote a circular economy throughout the EU.

For Shopify merchants and other e-commerce businesses, this means reviewing packaging processes, understanding cross-border obligations, and ensuring internal workflows are well organized. While the regulation mainly focuses on packaging, it also highlights the importance of efficient business processes and proper documentation.

In this guide, we'll explain what the PPWR is, who it applies to, how it affects online retailers, and what steps you should take if you sell products across the European Union.

What is the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR)?

The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) is the European Union's new regulation governing packaging and packaging waste. It replaces the previous Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive with a directly applicable regulation that creates a more consistent legal framework across all EU Member States.

The regulation entered into force on 11 February 2025 and will generally apply from 12 August 2026. Unlike a directive, an EU regulation does not require each Member State to introduce separate national legislation before becoming applicable.

The overall objective is straightforward: reduce packaging waste, improve recycling rates, encourage reusable packaging, and create harmonized rules for businesses operating within the European Union.

Why was the PPWR introduced?

Packaging waste has increased significantly over the past years, mainly due to the continuous growth of e-commerce and home deliveries.

Every shipped order usually includes multiple packaging components such as product packaging, shipping boxes, filling materials, labels, and protective wrapping. Across millions of online orders every day, this creates an enormous amount of waste.

The European Union introduced the PPWR to:

• Reduce overall packaging waste

• Improve packaging recyclability

• Encourage reusable packaging systems

• Increase the use of recycled materials

• Minimize unnecessary packaging

• Harmonize packaging rules across Europe

• Support the transition towards a circular economy

For businesses, this means packaging is becoming an important compliance topic rather than simply a logistics decision.

Who does the PPWR apply to?

The PPWR affects almost every business placing packaged products on the EU market.

This includes:

• Online retailers

• Shopify merchants

• Manufacturers

• Importers

• Brand owners

• Fulfillment providers

• Companies shipping products directly to customers

Whether you sell ten products per month or thousands of orders every day, the regulation may affect your packaging strategy.

Which packaging is covered?

Many merchants initially think only about their product packaging.

In reality, the scope is much broader.

Depending on your business, the following packaging types may fall under the regulation:

• Product packaging

• Shipping cartons

• Mailing bags

• Protective inserts

• Bubble wrap

• Paper filling material

• Secondary packaging

• Transport packaging

In short, almost every package leaving your warehouse should be reviewed over the coming years.

What does the PPWR mean for online retailers?

For e-commerce businesses, the PPWR is less about one single rule and more about improving the entire packaging process.

Use packaging more efficiently

One important objective is reducing unnecessary packaging material.

Shipping boxes should be appropriately sized, avoiding excessive empty space whenever possible. Better fitting packaging reduces material usage, transportation volume, and environmental impact.

For many online stores, reviewing available carton sizes and shipping materials is a practical first step.

Improve recyclability

The regulation also promotes packaging that can be collected, sorted, and recycled more efficiently.

Businesses should begin discussing future packaging requirements with suppliers and manufacturers to understand which materials are being used and whether improvements may become necessary.

Work closely with suppliers

Many compliance requirements depend on information provided by packaging manufacturers.

Retailers should therefore request relevant documentation from suppliers regarding packaging materials, recycled content, and recyclability whenever available.

Selling products across the European Union

One of the most important aspects for Shopify merchants is cross-border selling.

Many online stores don't only serve customers in their home country—they also ship to customers throughout Europe.

If your business ships products to countries such as France, Austria, Italy, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, or other EU Member States, you should understand that additional national obligations may still apply alongside the PPWR.

Although the regulation harmonizes many packaging requirements across Europe, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) systems continue to operate at national level.

This means that depending on where you sell your products, you may still need to:

• Register with national packaging authorities

• Report packaging volumes

• Participate in local recycling schemes

• Meet country-specific compliance requirements

The exact obligations vary from country to country.

If your Shopify store already sells internationally—or plans to expand into new European markets—it is advisable to review the packaging regulations applicable in each destination country before increasing sales.

Why cross-border shipping deserves special attention

International growth creates new opportunities, but it also increases compliance responsibilities.

Before expanding into additional EU countries, merchants should ask themselves:

• Which countries do we currently ship to?

• Do we know the local packaging registration requirements?

• Have we reviewed applicable EPR obligations?

• Are our packaging materials suitable for future PPWR requirements?

• Can we document our business processes properly?

Preparing these answers today can save significant administrative work later.

What online retailers should pay attention to now

Although many requirements will be introduced gradually, businesses should already begin preparing.

A proactive approach will usually be easier and less expensive than making changes under time pressure later.

Start by reviewing your current packaging strategy:

• Can packaging sizes be optimized?

• Are unnecessary materials being used?

• Can recyclable materials replace existing packaging?

• Are suppliers prepared for future requirements?

• Are shipping destinations properly documented?

• Are invoices and shipping documents well organized?

While the PPWR focuses on packaging itself, it also reinforces a broader trend: businesses are expected to operate with increasingly transparent and well-documented processes.

Why Proper Documentation Matters

As businesses adapt to new regulations such as the PPWR, efficient documentation becomes increasingly important.

Although the regulation focuses on packaging, retailers also need well-organized business processes to keep daily operations running smoothly. Managing invoices, shipping documents, refunds, and accounting records manually quickly becomes time-consuming as order volumes grow.

A structured documentation process helps businesses:

• Keep order-related documents organized

• Reduce manual administrative work

• Minimize errors caused by manual data entry

• Prepare financial records for accountants or bookkeeping

• Improve transparency across business operations

Especially for stores selling internationally, having reliable documentation can save valuable time and simplify internal workflows.

How Easy Invoices Supports Shopify Merchants

The PPWR is not an invoicing regulation, and Easy Invoices is not a packaging compliance solution.

However, the regulation highlights a broader trend: businesses are expected to operate with efficient, transparent, and well-documented processes.

This is exactly where Easy Invoices helps.

Easy Invoices automatically creates professional business documents directly from your Shopify orders, allowing merchants to spend less time on administration and more time growing their business.

With Easy Invoices you can automatically generate:

• Professional PDF invoices

• Packing slips

• Credit notes

• Multilingual invoices for international customers

• Customized invoice templates that match your brand

For businesses working with an accountant or bookkeeping service, Easy Invoices also provides an accounting export that simplifies transferring financial data.

Instead of manually creating documents for every order, everything is generated automatically inside Shopify, creating a more efficient workflow as your business grows.

PPWR Checklist for Online Retailers

Preparing early is the best way to reduce future compliance efforts.

Use this checklist to review your current processes:

1. Review all packaging materials currently in use.

2. Reduce unnecessary packaging wherever possible.

3. Optimize shipping box sizes to minimize empty space.

4. Ask suppliers for information about packaging materials and recyclability.

5. Identify the EU countries you currently ship to.

6. Review national Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) requirements for those countries.

7. Document your packaging and shipping processes internally.

8. Automate invoice and packing slip creation.

9. Organize accounting documents for your accountant or bookkeeping team.

10. Stay informed about future PPWR implementation deadlines and updates.

Even if not every requirement applies immediately, taking these steps today will make future adjustments much easier.

Preparing Your Shopify Store for the Future

Sustainability and compliance are becoming increasingly important in e-commerce.

Customers expect environmentally responsible packaging, while regulators expect businesses to meet higher compliance standards.

Merchants who prepare early can benefit from:

• More efficient shipping processes

• Better internal organization

• Reduced administrative workload

• Easier international expansion

• Improved customer experience

Rather than viewing the PPWR as another regulatory burden, it can be seen as an opportunity to optimize business operations and modernize packaging strategies.

Conclusion

The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation represents one of the biggest changes to packaging legislation within the European Union in recent years.

For online retailers, it is about much more than choosing different shipping boxes. Businesses should review their packaging strategy, understand cross-border obligations, and ensure that internal processes are well organized.

If you sell products across Europe, now is the right time to evaluate your packaging materials, understand national EPR requirements, and prepare your business for the upcoming changes.

While Easy Invoices does not manage packaging compliance, it helps Shopify merchants automate one of the most important administrative tasks: creating professional business documents.

By automatically generating invoices, packing slips, credit notes, and multilingual documents directly from Shopify orders, Easy Invoices helps businesses save time, reduce manual work, and maintain organized documentation as they continue to grow.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does the PPWR apply?

The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation entered into force on **11 February 2025** and generally applies from **12 August 2026** across all EU Member States.

Does the PPWR apply to Shopify stores?

Yes. The regulation applies regardless of the e-commerce platform you use. Shopify merchants selling packaged products within the European Union should review the new requirements.

Does the PPWR affect shipping boxes?

Yes. Shipping cartons, mailing bags, protective materials, and other transport packaging are generally included within the scope of the regulation.

What if I sell products to other EU countries?

Businesses selling across the European Union should review the national packaging and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) requirements of each destination country, as these may differ even after the PPWR comes into effect.

Does Easy Invoices help with PPWR compliance?

Easy Invoices is not a packaging compliance or EPR management solution. Instead, it helps Shopify merchants automate invoices, packing slips, credit notes, multilingual business documents, and accounting exports, making administrative processes more efficient and organized.