Bundestag Adopts Packaging Act (VerpackDG): National Implementation of the EU Packaging Regulation

The German Bundestag adopted on June 11, 2026 the Packaging Law Implementation Act (VerpackDG) . The law establishes the national enforcement framework for the European Packaging Regulation (EU) 2025/40 (known as PPWR - Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation) and replaces the existing Packaging Act (VerpackG).

The background: the EU Packaging Regulation entered into force on February 11, 2025, and will apply directly in all member states from August 12, 2026. The VerpackDG creates the national enforcement framework needed for practical implementation.

Key regulations at a glance

1. New recycling quotas for plastic packaging

The law sets binding quotas for recycling plastic waste from packaging:

• From 2028: at least 75 percent
• From 2030: at least 80 percent

The VerpackDG introduces binding requirements on recyclability, recycled content, reusability, and compostability. Going forward, packaging must be designed to avoid problematic substances such as hard-to-recycle plastics or PFAS. In addition, oversized packaging will be restricted and labeling requirements expanded — with the goal of facilitating sorting and environmentally sound disposal across the entire value chain.

2. Recycled content: requirements from 2027 and EU mandate

In an accompanying resolution, the Bundestag calls on the federal government to promptly submit the statutory ordinances under Section 26a to make the use of recycled materials legally binding. The corresponding requirements are to apply from 2027. Priority should be given to the use of recycled materials produced in Germany and the EU. At the EU level, the federal government is also called upon to advocate for the rapid approval of additional recycled materials — particularly for contact-sensitive applications — as well as for a uniform, low-bureaucracy verification procedure for plastic recyclates.

3. Eco-modulation: stronger market incentives for recyclable packaging

The Environment Committee amended the government's draft ahead of the vote. CDU/CSU and SPD added provisions on the ecological design of participation fees in particular, in order to create stronger market incentives for recyclable packaging. The committee's recommendation is also available as a document.

What this means for companies?

The VerpackDG brings the national enforcement framework for the PPWR into effect from August 12, 2026. For manufacturing companies and those placing packaging on the market, this means in concrete terms: registration with the ZSVR is required, declarations of conformity must be in place, and license fees will in future be linked to recyclability and recycled content. The requirements for recycled content quotas and the precise design of eco-modulation will follow through statutory ordinances, expected by 2027.

How Tanso supports you

Tanso supports manufacturers and those placing packaging on the market with a central PPWR compliance module that captures packaging data in a structured way, assesses recyclability, and provides the necessary technical documentation and declarations of conformity for August 12, 2026. Once the statutory ordinances on eco-modulation and recycled content quotas are available, these will be reflected in the platform.