The PPWR
Under the new European Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), all companies that place packaging on the market are affected. It comes into application on 12 August 2026, but most of the measures will take effect from 2030.
In this section, Valipac and the Valipac Academy will help you understand these rules, organise your data and clarify your role as a ‘producer’ within the meaning of the PPWR.
In which cases are you considered a producer in Belgium?
The PPWR introduces a more precise definition of ‘producer’ in order to clearly identify who is responsible for packaging placed on the market for the first time in a Member State. This definition takes into account the type of packaging, the role of the company (manufacturer, importer, distributor, distance seller, etc.) and the location of the first placing on the market.
In Belgium, you are considered a producer in the following situations:
- You are based in Belgium and sell service or transport packaging in its final, empty form to Belgian businesses.
- You are based outside Belgium and sell packaged goods directly to a Belgian end-user (consumer or business).
- You are based in Belgium and pack goods into sales and groupage packaging and sell them to Belgian businesses.
- You are based in Belgium and import packaged goods for redistribution to Belgian businesses.
To help you determine whether you are a producer, Valipac provides a decision tree.
Your role as a producer
Being a producer means:
- Contributing financially to the end-of-life management of the packaging you place on the market,
- Meeting and demonstrating, each year, the recycling targets set for packaging that becomes waste at your Belgian customers’ premises,
- Joining an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) organisation,
- Reporting to this scheme the tonnages of packaging placed on the Belgian market.
Why choose Valipac?
- We take care of all your legal obligations regarding commercial packaging
- We ensure that the required recycling targets are met and documented for your business
- We report on behalf of all our clients to the relevant authorities
With Valipac, you fulfil all your obligations in the most efficient, affordable and hassle-free way.
Who is responsible for drawing up a declaration of conformity?
The general rules set out in the PPWR are as follows:
- The manufacturer or supplier of the packaging must provide the technical documentation.
- The company that assembles the packaging or its components is responsible for drawing up the Declaration of Conformity for that packaging.
- A declaration covers each unit of packaging placed on the market.
- Exception: for micro-enterprises (<10 employees and <€2 million turnover), the responsibility for the Declaration of Conformity lies with the supplier of the packaging.
Contents of the declaration of conformity
- Unique identification number
- Identification of the packaging (e.g. type, batch number or serial number) and description of the packaging
- Manufacturer’s contact details
- Declaration of sole responsibility: ‘This declaration of conformity is issued under the sole responsibility of the manufacturer’.
- Declaration certifying that the packaging complies with applicable legislation (with reference to the PPWR and any other relevant European legislation).
- Technical basis for compliance (tests, standards or calculations proving compliance)
- Where applicable: identification of the body that carried out the inspection and information appearing on the certificate)