What does Design for Recycling mean for your packaging?

PPWR through the lens of packaging expertise

An FIBC may look relatively straightforward, but every part of its construction has a purpose. The fabric provides strength. Lifting loops make handling possible. Filling and discharge options are selected for the process, while a liner may be needed to protect the product against moisture or contamination. This becomes relevant when looking at Design for Recycling.

From 2030, packaging placed on the EU market will need to meet Design for Recycling requirements and recyclability performance grades under the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR).

The challenge is therefore not simply to use a recyclable material. It is to improve the recyclability of the complete packaging while maintaining the performance required for its application.

Design for Recycling is a design question

Design for Recycling means looking beyond the main material and examining how the complete packaging is constructed. In the case of an FIBC, this means looking at the fabric, loops, seams, filling and discharge construction, printing and, where required, a liner.

The opportunity is to understand where the design can be simplified without compromising its function. Could different components be made from compatible materials? Is the current construction still necessary for the application? Can material use be reduced while maintaining the required strength and protection?

The best opportunities often become visible when recyclability and packaging performance are assessed together, rather than separately.

Start with the packaging in front of you

Before changing an existing packaging, we first need to understand why it is designed the way it is. For an FIBC, that means looking at the product, required load, filling and discharge process, transport and storage conditions and any barrier requirements.

From there, the possibilities become more concrete. Could the material composition be simplified? Is the liner still necessary in its current form? Could less material be used without compromising strength or product protection?

Sometimes a small adjustment is possible. In other cases, changing one component affects the complete packaging or filling process. That is why Design for Recycling starts with understanding the packaging in use.

Different industrial packaging, different requirements

Different products and processes require different packaging solutions. Some products need protection against moisture or contamination. Others place specific demands on strength, filling, discharge, storage or handling. These requirements influence the material, construction and components of the packaging.

This means there is no single Design for Recycling approach for industrial packaging. A change that improves recyclability in one application may affect performance in another.

The starting point is the function of the packaging: what does it need to do, which components are essential and where is there room to simplify?

Design for Recycling is therefore about more than selecting recyclable materials. It is about improving recyclability while ensuring that the packaging continues to perform as required.

From PPWR to packaging decisions

PPWR makes recyclability an increasingly important part of packaging decisions. For companies using packaging, a useful starting point is therefore not simply asking whether a material is recyclable.

Look at the packaging itself. Why is it constructed this way? Which functions are essential? Which components influence recyclability? And where is there room to improve? These are practical packaging questions. PPWR gives them a new regulatory context. And this is where packaging expertise matters: understanding what needs to stay, what could change and what that change means for the complete packaging and its application.

Talk to a packaging specialist about PPWR and your packaging