Twenty-two financial investors have submitted a private letter urging the European Commission not to reopen the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, led by Systemiq, Eunomia, Circle Economy and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.
Collectively representing over €28 billion under management, the investors told the Commission that they are positioning to capture the economic opportunities that the PPWR is set to unlock.
They assert that packaging represents a manufacturing turnover of over €355 billion per year. Adjacent industries such as waste management, reuse and recycling are said to generate additional billions of euros.
The Commission’s Impact Assessment expects the PPWR to deliver net economic savings of €53 billion if implemented in a timely fashion. It is also projected to reduce fossil fuel dependency by 3.1 million tonnes every year and create approximately 29,000 new jobs.
Describing the PPWR as a ‘keystone policy’ and ‘essential building block’ for circularity in Europe, the investors argue that the regulation supports all three of the EU’s ambitions for simplicity, competitiveness, and reduced reliance on imported materials and fossil fuels, as presented at the European Council Conclusions of March 2026.
Conversely, the signatories expect packaging-related environmental costs to rise from €6 billion in 2018 to €17 billion by 2040 if the PPWR is not implemented.
The investors acknowledge that guidance and secondary legislation may be required to help some businesses implement the new rules. However, they argue that pushing back the application date would not resolve these issues, but suggest that investors and markets can pressure the Commission into changing its laws – as well as increasing uncertainty and reducing investment flows.
This alludes to a letter delivered to the Commission back in April, in which multiple industry CEOs requested that the legal deadline to address per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) by 12 August 2026 be postponed if a harmonized methodology cannot be provided.
The packaging industry reacted strongly to the news. Some were optimistic that boardrooms are engaging with the PPWR and acknowledged the difficulties of the incoming deadline; others argued that brands have had plenty of notice to ensure their compliance and accuse the CEOs of ‘strategic delay’.
Shortly after, 200 companies signed a joint call asking the Commission not to reopen the text, instead ensuring the ‘timely and effective’ implementation of the PPWR by introducing secondary legislation.
They point out that ongoing political tensions, changes in international trade measures, and the cost of energy and raw materials are already placing strain on European industry – and that a smooth transition into the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation should be the ‘central priority’.
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