Germany has approved a new Packaging Law Implementation Act (VerpackDG) to align its national packaging framework with the European Union’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). The legislation replaces Germany’s existing Packaging Act and provides the national framework needed to implement the new EU requirements.
The new legislation is designed to support higher recycling rates, greater packaging recyclability, waste prevention and the transition toward a circular economy. The EU’s PPWR and Germany’s accompanying VerpackDG entered into application on 12 August 2026.
Higher Recycling Targets
One of the significant changes concerns plastic packaging waste. From 2028, Germany will apply a 75% recycling target for plastic packaging waste, with 70% of that target required to be achieved through mechanical/material recycling. Recycling targets for aluminium and ferrous metals will also increase to 95%.
The targets are scheduled to increase further from 2030, creating additional pressure on packaging producers, converters and recyclers to improve material recovery and packaging design.
Greater Focus on Packaging Design
The legislation supports the broader EU requirement that packaging placed on the European market should become recyclable, reusable or recoverable. It also introduces requirements related to recycled content, reuse and compostability, while restrictions apply to certain problematic substances, including PFAS in relevant packaging applications.
Germany is also retaining established elements of its extended producer responsibility system while adding measures intended to encourage packaging waste prevention, reuse and refill systems.
What It Means for the Packaging Industry
The new framework is expected to influence packaging development across plastic, paper, metal and other material categories. Packaging manufacturers and brand owners will increasingly need to consider recyclability, material selection, recycled content, packaging reduction and end-of-life performance during the design stage.
For packaging converters and suppliers, the changes could accelerate demand for mono-material structures, recyclable coatings and adhesives, recycled-content solutions, lightweight packaging and improved recycling technologies.