EU PPWR for Amenity Brands: What Applies and When

The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, Regulation (EU) 2025/40 (PPWR), entered into force on 11 February 2025 and has applied since 12 August 2026. It replaces Directive 94/62/EC. (Full text: EUR-Lex)

For an amenity brand, three parts matter most: the restriction on single-use toiletry packaging in accommodation, the recyclability requirements, and the rules for reusable packaging. They do not all apply at once, so the useful question is not "is my packaging PPWR-compliant?" but "which obligations apply to this format, and from when?"

The restriction on hotel miniatures

Article 25 and Annex V restrict certain packaging formats from 1 January 2030. One of them is single-use packaging used in the accommodation sector for cosmetic, hygiene and toiletry products intended for an individual booking, under 50 ml for liquids or 100 g for non-liquids.

In practice, that covers the standard shampoo, conditioner, shower gel and lotion miniature placed in a room for one stay.

Recyclability

Article 6 requires packaging placed on the market to be recyclable, assessed against design-for-recycling criteria and performance grades set out in delegated acts. The requirement applies from 1 January 2030, or 24 months after those delegated acts take effect if that is later. Check the current text and the delegated acts for the grades that apply to your materials.

Reusable packaging

A refillable vessel or dispenser only counts as reusable packaging under PPWR if it meets the definition in Article 11: designed to make multiple rotations, refilled or reused for the same purpose, and supported by a system for reuse. If your brand relies on a reusable format, keep the vessel specification and the refill system documented.

Labelling

Harmonised sorting labels under Article 12 phase in later, from 2028 at the earliest, once the implementing acts are in place.

Where Balearic Law 8/2019 fits

Balearic Law 8/2019 is a separate regional law. It restricts named single-use items and bans products containing microplastics in the Balearic Islands, but it does not expressly list toiletry miniatures. See what Balearic Law 8/2019 actually says.

What this means when you launch an amenity brand

- Choose the format with 2030 in mind. If the brand will be sold into hotels, single-use miniatures under 50 ml or 100 g for an individual booking have a fixed end date in the EU. - Check materials for recyclability against the design-for-recycling criteria as they are published. - Document reusable formats. Keep the vessel specification and refill system on file if you rely on reuse. - Keep packaging and product compliance together. PPWR covers the packaging. The product inside is covered by the EU Cosmetics Regulation: Product Information File, safety assessment and CPNP notification.

We assess packaging against the applicable PPWR requirements for each project. Start your brief.

FAQ

When does PPWR apply? It has applied since 12 August 2026. Many of its obligations, including the miniature restriction and recyclability, phase in from 2030.

Are hotel miniatures banned? From 1 January 2030, single-use packaging in the accommodation sector for toiletries intended for an individual booking, under 50 ml or 100 g, is restricted under Annex V.

Does PPWR cover the formula? No. PPWR covers packaging. The formula is covered by the EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009.

Where is the official text? On EUR-Lex: Regulation (EU) 2025/40.