European supermarkets are bracing for significant changes to product packaging as a new regulation aimed at boosting sustainability takes effect. The new rules, outlined in the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), will require companies to rethink how they design, produce, and sell packaged goods, moving beyond simply managing waste to prioritizing reduction, reuse, and recyclability.
The PPWR shifts the onus onto businesses to demonstrate that packaging has been designed with the entire lifecycle in mind. This means intervening not only in materials selection and manufacturing but also in information systems and compliance checks. The regulation, formally in effect, is being rolled out progressively, with full compliance required by August 12, 2026.
Coop Italia, a major Italian retailer, views the regulation as a natural extension of its existing sustainability efforts. “From a principled standpoint, this is absolutely an evolution of a path already started,” said Chiara Faenza, Head of Sustainability at Coop Italia. “Sustainability, in our cooperative vision, precedes regulatory obligation and doesn’t arise as a defensive response to European regulation.”
The company has been proactively addressing packaging concerns for decades, implementing campaigns focused on waste reduction and proper disposal as early as 1997. In 2007, Coop Italia introduced a labeling system on its own-brand products to indicate material type and recycling streams – a practice that became standard across Italy in 2020.
Despite this head start, Faenza acknowledges the challenges of implementation. “It’s a particularly complex regulation,” she explained, operating within “a geopolitical and economic scenario that is equally complex.” A key hurdle is the lack of complete technical specifications. “In practice, it is still missing parts of the application: implementing acts, delegated acts, guidelines with indications of how to do things.”
For a retailer managing thousands of products, the absence of definitive guidance creates significant operational pressure. Companies are being asked to invest and redesign packaging without all the necessary technical parameters being finalized. This is compounded by existing market volatility and supply chain disruptions.
Faenza emphasized the importance of considering the function of packaging beyond its material composition. “It cannot and should not be read independently of the product,” she stated, highlighting its primary roles in product safety, hygiene, and transportation. Reducing packaging weight or components must be carefully evaluated to avoid increased product breakage or food waste, which could negate any environmental benefits. “Life cycle assessments are necessary for a realistic and concrete approach,” Faenza noted.
The PPWR also focuses on increasing the use of recycled materials in plastic packaging. Coop Italia has already made strides in this area, utilizing approximately 25,000 tons of recycled plastic in 2024 in place of virgin plastic. Yet, the company acknowledges that achieving the regulation’s 2030 targets will require a significant expansion of recycled material usage.
A current challenge is the instability in the recycled plastic market. Plant closures and price discrepancies between recycled and virgin plastic are complicating long-term planning. “Today there is the whole question of the fact that the recycling market for plastic is in crisis,” Faenza said. The risk is that ambitious environmental goals could be undermined by structural shortages and cost pressures.
Cost management is a critical consideration. Any significant increase in packaging costs will ripple through the supply chain. Balancing environmental ambition with economic sustainability is paramount. “You have to be extremely careful about costs,” Faenza observed, stressing the need to maintain competitiveness while upholding environmental commitments.
The PPWR also reinforces shared responsibility across the value chain, requiring greater collaboration between retailers, producers, and packaging suppliers. Coop Italia believes it can play a key role in accelerating the implementation of the regulation by translating regulatory requirements into technical specifications for suppliers and promoting alignment throughout the supply chain. “We can have a boosting function, therefore acting as an accelerator towards the implementation of this regulation along the entire value chain,” Faenza concluded. The company’s long-standing dialogue with suppliers, including the introduction of recycled content requirements in 2018, positions it to navigate these changes effectively.
