— By Plasteurope.com staff — 

On 1 September 2025, a new minimum standard for assessing the recyclability of packaging came into force in Germany. The central packaging register agency ZSVR (Osnabrück, Germany; www.verpackungsregister.org) published the revised version in coordination with the federal environment agency UBA (Dessau, Germany; www.umweltbundesamt.de).

The updated framework aligns with the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which aims to ensure that only packaging that is at least 70% recyclable may be placed on the market from 2030. Companies must adapt their production and procurement processes accordingly.

At the request of the industry, the minimum standard for 2025 was revised together with the UBA and a group of experts to make it more implementable. While the technical fundamentals remain essentially unchanged, the new version stands out visually and structurally from its predecessors. The packaging categories are becoming more important – the document is organised according to the predominant material of the main packaging component. The PPWR also follows this system.

Related: Recycling rate for plastics rising in Germany

New features include a step-by-step breakdown of the assessment process and a formula for calculating recyclability. Users learn in detail how to determine the recyclability of their packaging by first assigning it to a packaging category. They can then determine recyclability based on the key design parameters of their packaging. All information on the assessment can now be found in Annex 2 of the minimum standard.

The clearer layout aims to make the standard more user-friendly and minimise the risk of misinterpretation. In addition, the ZSVR provides accompanying materials, namely, an application guide and explanatory background information. Technical documentation is to follow.

“Even though the PPWR will come into force in August 2026 with the first regulations, the new minimum standard is still based on Section 21 of the German Packaging Act”, explains Gunda Rachut, director of the ZSVR. He wouldn’t comment on the EU Commission’s pending delegated act on the assessment of recyclability, which is only expected in 2028.

— Translated by Christopher Köbel