The EU Single-Use Plastics Directive comes up constantly in sourcing conversations, but a lot of the confusion isn’t about what it bans — that part is fairly settled — it’s about what’s changed since it took effect, and what newer EU packaging rules layer on top of it. Here’s where things actually stand.
What the Directive Bans
Directive (EU) 2019/904 has applied across EU member states since 3 July 2021. It prohibits placing certain single-use plastic products on the EU market where non-plastic alternatives are readily available: plastic cutlery, plates, straws, stirrers, cotton buds, balloon sticks, oxo-degradable plastics, and expanded polystyrene (EPS) food containers and cups.
The practical effect for foodservice packaging is straightforward — conventional plastic straws, cutlery, and EPS containers are off the table for EU sales. Paper, PLA, and bagasse alternatives were never subject to this ban, since it targets petroleum-based single-use plastic specifically, not compostable or fiber-based materials.
The Newer Layer: Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) — Now Fully in Force
Regulation (EU) 2025/40, the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, became fully and directly applicable across all 27 EU member states on 12 August 2026, replacing the nearly 30-year-old Packaging Directive (94/62/EC). Because it’s a regulation rather than a directive, it applies uniformly without needing separate transposition into each country’s national law — closing the gaps in enforcement that existed under the old system.
Several requirements took effect immediately on that date:
- Hazardous substance limits: combined lead, cadmium, mercury and hexavalent chromium in packaging capped at 100 mg/kg. Food-contact packaging faces strict new PFAS limits (single non-polymeric PFAS ≤25 ppb, total non-polymeric PFAS ≤250 ppb, total fluorine in polymeric PFAS ≤50 ppm), with no grace period for existing stock.
- Recyclability requirement: all packaging placed on the EU market must now be recyclable by design.
- EPR registration: packaging placed on the EU market must be registered under Extended Producer Responsibility in the country of sale; non-EU suppliers need an EU-authorized representative to handle this.
Further requirements phase in over the next decade: from 1 January 2030, recyclability must reach a graded threshold (packaging under 70% recyclable is classified “not recyclable” and barred from the market), rising to only the top two grades being allowed from 2038. Minimum recycled-content requirements for plastic packaging and packaging-minimization rules (capping empty space in e-commerce packaging at 50%, for example) also begin phasing in from 2030.
The PPWR additionally restricts specific single-use plastic packaging formats — grouping film at point of sale, individual condiment portions, small hotel toiletries, and packaging for food and drink consumed on-site in hotels, bars, and restaurants. For compostable packaging specifically, the regulation requires it to meet industrial composting standards, and member states can mandate compostable formats where composting infrastructure already exists.
What This Means for Sourcing Decisions
For buyers already sourcing paper, PLA, or bagasse packaging, the regulatory direction reinforces rather than disrupts existing sourcing choices — these material categories sit outside the conventional-plastic bans and align with the PPWR’s compostability and recyclability requirements. The more relevant question for procurement teams is documentation: verifying that a supplier’s compostability claims are backed by recognized certification (BPI/ASTM D6400 in the US framework, EN 13432 in the EU framework), and that wood-fiber materials carry legitimate chain-of-custody certification like FSC. Selling into the US too? Our companion guide to US state-level plastic packaging laws breaks down the parallel, but different, patchwork of EPR, PFAS, and polystyrene rules across US states.
Regulatory requirements around PFAS in food-contact packaging are also tightening across the EU, so it’s worth confirming with any supplier — Corncomp included — that food-contact materials are tested and documented accordingly.
Certification Checklist for EU-Bound Packaging
- FSC Chain of Custody for wood-fiber materials (paper, kraft, cardboard)
- BPI Compostable (ASTM D6400) or equivalent EN 13432 compostability certification for PLA and bagasse
- Food-contact compliance documentation (EU AP 2002, FDA, or LFGB depending on market)
- ISO 9001:2015 or equivalent quality management certification
Corncomp’s certificate numbers and verification links for each of these are available on our Certifications page. For a material-by-material breakdown of which claim applies to which product, see our guide to PLA vs bagasse vs FSC paper, and for how to confirm those claims are genuine, see how to verify a supplier’s sustainability certifications are real.
This article summarizes publicly available regulatory information as a general reference and isn’t legal advice. Buyers should confirm current requirements with their own compliance counsel or the relevant EU authority before finalizing sourcing decisions.