Sustainability in the packaging industry: What's changing in 2026
EU regulation, recycling and carbon footprint. An overview of the most important changes in the packaging industry and how to respond to them.
New regulations change the game
The European Union adopts the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which fundamentally changes the requirements for packaging. For manufacturers and buyers of paper bags, this brings both challenges and opportunities.
The main changes include: mandatory recyclability of all packaging by 2030, restrictions on unnecessary packaging and new requirements for minimum recycled content.
Paper vs. plastic: The real numbers
A paper bag has a carbon footprint of approximately 80 g CO₂ per piece, while a comparable plastic bag has 40 g CO₂. But the numbers lie - paper recycling in Europe is 85%, while plastic is only 40%.
In addition, paper bags from certified sources (FSC, PEFC) come from renewable forests, which significantly reduces the overall impact.
How to prepare
Companies that want to be ready for the new requirements should already require FSC/PEFC certification from suppliers, track the percentage of recycled material and document their packaging chain.
United Bags allows you to filter manufacturers by certification and sustainable parameters.