Flexible Packaging Resource Centre
Flexible packaging and PPWR resources
Everything a packaging, procurement or compliance team needs to design, specify and document mono-material and barrier packaging for the EU market - calculators, editable PPWR templates, technical guides and two online glossaries, all kept current with Regulation (EU) 2025/40, the RecyClass Design for Recycling Guidelines and EN 18120‑1:2026.
What this resource centre contains
Most flexible-packaging suppliers publish a blog post about PPWR and a "contact us" button. We built the tools our own engineers use - so you can size a film order, estimate the recyclability impact of a structure change, and produce the compliance paperwork buyers now ask for, in one place.
Last updated September 2026 · maintained by the VLM Poliplast technical team · aligned to Regulation (EU) 2025/40, the RecyClass Design for Recycling Guidelines and EN 18120‑1:2026.
- Written for the EU market: Regulation (EU) 2025/40 (PPWR), PFAS Article 5, the RecyClass Design for Recycling Guidelines, CEFLEX D4ACE.
- Vendor-neutral technical content - usable whoever you buy from.
- Backed by a real converter: solventless lamination & custom printing, ISO 9001 / 14001 / 22000 / 45001.
New to PPWR? Start here
Three plain-English explainers already live on our sustainability hub:
Film weight calculator
Free, browser-based, nothing to install. Indicative results to support specification and budgeting decisions.
Prefer Romanian? The same calculator is available as a dedicated page: calculator de folie flexibilă (RO).
Flexible film weight & roll calculator
Estimate the weight of a film order from reel dimensions and polymer density (per ISO 1183‑1). Useful for budgeting, freight and quote comparison.
Indicative only. Real weights vary with density tolerance, coating, print and lamination. For a firm figure, ask us to quote your exact structure.
PPWR documents buyers ask for
Regulation (EU) 2025/40 entered into force in February 2025. The paperwork obligations start biting from 12 August 2026. Here is the compliance timeline and the documents you'll be asked to produce.
Key PPWR dates
Documents buyers now request
- PPWR Declaration of Conformity (Annex VIII)
- FCM Declaration of Conformity - Reg. (EU) 10/2011
- Supplier PFAS statement - Art. 5(5) limits
- Technical Data Sheet (TDS) + Certificate of Analysis
- Recycled-content (PCR) evidence & certification
Editable PPWR templates
Word (.docx) templates built on the official PPWR annex structure, with in-line notes to guide completion. One declaration per packaging type or material batch.
EU Declaration of Conformity (PPWR Annex VIII)
Eight numbered sections with completion notes. Mandatory from 12 August 2026 for all packaging placed on the EU market. Keep it for 5 years (single-use) or 10 years (reusable).
Download the DoC templateSupplier PFAS declaration (Art. 5(5) & 16)
Three pre-worded declarations covering the Article 5(5) fluorine limits, ready for your suppliers to sign per batch.
Download the PFAS templatePPWR guides and reference sheets
From a two-page desk reference to a full 6-module PPWR compliance series - pick the depth you need.
Complete flexible-packaging dictionary
All 127 terms across 11 categories, searchable online, with plain-English definitions and PPWR 2030 relevance notes.
Open the online glossaryPPWR Calendar 2026-2038
The hub of a 6-module PPWR compliance series: all key deadlines 2026–2038 in one document, with links to the other 5 modules (recyclability classes, PFAS, DoC, eco-modulated EPR fees, mono-material transition).
Get the PDFRapid PFAS compliance sheet
The three Article 5(5) limits - 25 ppb (single PFAS), 250 ppb (sum of PFAS), 50 mg/kg (total fluorine) - supplier-declaration vs lab-test guidance, and a 3-step testing method.
Get the PDFRecycled content (PCR) guide - Art. 7
Legal obligations, 2030/2040 thresholds by category and food-contact rules under Reg. (EU) 2022/1616.
Read the guidePFAS restrictions - Article 5 PPWR
The three PFAS thresholds effective from 12 August 2026, the two compliance routes (supplier declarations vs. lab testing), and a 3-step testing methodology.
Get the PDFPPWR Declaration of Conformity
Practical guide to the mandatory DoC from 12 August 2026: the Annex VIII structure, who issues it, record-keeping periods and penalties.
Get the PDFFlexible packaging and PPWR glossaries
Searchable, always current. Whether you're decoding a supplier spec or a legal clause, look it up here.
Technical terminology
Polymers, barriers (EVOH, SiOx, AlOx), processes, pouch types and properties (OTR, WVTR, MFI).
Open glossaryPPWR & legal terms
Recyclability classes, PFAS, recycled content, eco-modulated EPR, Declaration of Conformity.
Open glossarySample entries
Mono-material - a structure built from a single polymer family (all-PE or all-PP) so it fits one recycling stream. The basis of a design for recycling under the PPWR.
MDO-PE - machine-direction-oriented polyethylene; gives PET-like stiffness while keeping the pack recyclable in the PE stream.
OTR / WVTR - oxygen and water-vapour transmission rates; the two numbers that decide whether a mono-material can protect your product.
…plus 197 more.
Flexible packaging and PPWR definitions
Short, plain-English answers to the questions buyers and search engines ask most across the EU. Answer-first, so they're easy to quote - and easy for Google and AI assistants to lift.
What is flexible packaging?
Flexible packaging is any pouch, bag or film made from thin, bendable materials - plastic, aluminium foil or paper - that takes the shape of its contents. It uses far less material than rigid packaging, cutting weight, transport emissions and cost, and is used for coffee, food, pet food and supplements.
What is mono-material packaging?
Mono-material packaging is built from a single polymer family - all-polyethylene (PE) or all-polypropylene (PP) - so the whole pack fits one recycling stream. It is the main route to the PPWR design-for-recycling requirements, replacing mixed laminates such as PET/PE. VLM Poliplast produces these structures as its EcoMonoFilm® range.
What is the PPWR?
The PPWR is the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (EU) 2025/40. It replaces the old packaging directive with directly binding rules on recyclability, recycled content, PFAS and labelling for all packaging placed on the EU market, phased in from 12 August 2026 through 2038.
What is a PPWR Declaration of Conformity?
It is a signed document (Annex VIII of Regulation (EU) 2025/40) confirming a packaging type meets the regulation. The producer or importer issues one per packaging type; it becomes mandatory for all EU-market packaging from 12 August 2026.
What is Design for Recycling?
Design for Recycling means engineering a pack so it can actually be sorted and recycled in existing streams. For flexible packaging that means a single polymer family with compatible inks, adhesives and labels. Under the PPWR the binding criteria are set by the Commission through the delegated acts under Article 6(4), which are not yet published; industry methodologies such as CEFLEX D4ACE and the RecyClass Design for Recycling Guidelines are voluntary and used in the meantime.
What are the PPWR recyclability classes A, B and C?
They are the recyclability performance classes set out in Annex II, Table 3 of Regulation (EU) 2025/40. Class A is 95% or above, class B is 80% or above and class C is 70% or above, assessed by weight per unit of packaging. Below 70% the packaging is considered technically non-recyclable and its placing on the market is restricted. From 1 January 2038 only classes A and B may be placed on the market. No structure can be assigned a class yet: the assessment depends on the design-for-recycling criteria that the Commission establishes through the delegated acts under Article 6(4).
Flexible packaging material families
Short profiles of the polymer families and structures behind our packaging. Dedicated head-to-head comparison guides are coming soon.
PP & PE flexible films
Stiffness, seal temperature, moisture & grease barrier, VFFS/HFFS behaviour and PP5 vs PE4 recyclability.
Explore PP & PE films →MDO-PE & BOPE films
Uniaxial vs biaxial orientation, modulus, clarity and PE-stream compatibility - for replacing PET.
Explore mono-material PE →Multilayer & barrier structures
Carbon footprint, recyclability, EPR fees and PPWR 2030 compliance considerations for laminated structures.
Explore multilayer structures →All flexible packaging materials
Match OTR/WVTR needs and line compatibility to the right all-PE or all-PP structure.
Browse all materials →Downloadable checklists
Mono-material film selection (5 steps)
Product category → barrier requirements → line compatibility → RecyClass & PPWR → final validation. Aligned to Regulation (EU) 2025/40.
Get the checklistDesign for Recycling (DfR)
CEFLEX D4ACE & RecyClass DfR criteria grouped into 4 checkable sections: composition, inks & adhesives, sortability and validation.
Get the checklistIndustries we supply
Every guide above maps to a real, recyclable structure we produce.
Frequently asked questions
What are the first PPWR compliance steps for a business selling in the EU?
Can I replace a PET/PE laminate with a recyclable mono-material without losing barrier?
Which documents will my customers ask me for?
Are these resources free, and do I have to be a customer?
What are the PFAS limits under the PPWR?
How much recycled content will the PPWR require?
| Category | 2030 | 2040 |
|---|---|---|
| Contact-sensitive PET | 30% | 50% |
| Contact-sensitive non-PET | 10% | 25% |
| Single-use plastic beverage bottles | 30% | 65% |
| Other plastic packaging | 35% | 65% |
Download the templates or request a quote
Download the free templates and guides, or tell us about your packaging project and we'll come back with a structure recommendation and a quote - a same-week reply from a technical contact, not a call-centre.
- Editable DoC & PFAS templates - free
- Guides, glossary & checklists - free
- A quote & structure recommendation for your project
Product-specific technical data sheets, certificates, migration analyses and conformity dossiers are provided to our active clients for the products they order - we don't offer standalone compliance-analysis or dossier-creation services.