> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://packaging-europe.ghost.io/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Taking stock of the industry’s progress under PPWR - URL: https://packaging-europe.ghost.io/taking-stock-of-the-industrys-progress-under-ppwr/ - Published: 2026-10-01T09:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-01T10:27:51.000Z - Author: Packaging Europe staff writers - Tags: Business, Sustainable Packaging Summit, Regulation & Compliance, #homepage-featured-sidebar **Now that the PPWR is legally binding, where do early adopters stand, what still needs to be addressed – and what should any of it teach us?** **With this year’s** [**Sustainable Packaging Summit**](https://www.packagingsummit.earth/event/d66d241d-085d-41f3-90e8-ac135fa07043/ticket-pricing?utm%5Fmedium=search&utm%5Fcampaign=sps26&utm%5Fcontent=ticket%5Fpricing&utm%5Fterm=sustainable%5Fpackaging%5Fsummit&utm%5Fterm=sustainable%20packaging%20summit&utm%5Fcampaign=SPS26+%7C+SEARCH+%7C+WDL&utm%5Fsource=adwords&utm%5Fmedium=ppc&hsa%5Facc=3630166164&hsa%5Fcam=23852797881&hsa%5Fgrp=197338978275&hsa%5Fad=809164621107&hsa%5Fsrc=g&hsa%5Ftgt=kwd-1601466471796&hsa%5Fkw=sustainable%20packaging%20summit&hsa%5Fmt=b&hsa%5Fnet=adwords&hsa%5Fver=3&gad%5Fsource=1&gad%5Fcampaignid=23852797881&gbraid=0AAAAADnbWs4xfXWFszKlsYaBnIfo%5F4tb-&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIoJXEnLGElwMVoZNQBh3Doh3-EAAYASAAEgKhh%5FD%5FBwE) **on the horizon, Ton Knipscheer of** [**TK Packaging Consulting**](https://tkpackagingconsulting.com/?ref=packaging-europe.ghost.io) **walks us through the essential discussions that will take place on the show floor.** [***Click here to learn more about attending this year’s Sustainable Packaging Summit.***](https://www.packagingsummit.earth/event/d66d241d-085d-41f3-90e8-ac135fa07043/ticket-pricing?utm%5Fmedium=search&utm%5Fcampaign=sps26&utm%5Fcontent=ticket%5Fpricing&utm%5Fterm=sustainable%5Fpackaging%5Fsummit&utm%5Fterm=sustainable%20packaging%20summit&utm%5Fcampaign=SPS26+%7C+SEARCH+%7C+WDL&utm%5Fsource=adwords&utm%5Fmedium=ppc&hsa%5Facc=3630166164&hsa%5Fcam=23852797881&hsa%5Fgrp=197338978275&hsa%5Fad=809164621107&hsa%5Fsrc=g&hsa%5Ftgt=kwd-1601466471796&hsa%5Fkw=sustainable%20packaging%20summit&hsa%5Fmt=b&hsa%5Fnet=adwords&hsa%5Fver=3&gad%5Fsource=1&gad%5Fcampaignid=23852797881&gbraid=0AAAAADnbWs4xfXWFszKlsYaBnIfo%5F4tb-&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIoJXEnLGElwMVoZNQBh3Doh3-EAAYASAAEgKhh%5FD%5FBwE) --- **What do you think will be the key talking points at the 2026 Sustainable Packaging Summit?** Now that the PPWR has finally entered into force, I think one of the most interesting questions is simply: where are we now? For several years, we have discussed what was coming. Now it is time to find out whether the entire value chain has really picked it up. Are companies actively preparing for the new requirements, adapting packaging and processes and understanding where their risks are? Or are there still companies that have not fully realised what PPWR will mean for their business? I expect the Summit to be a good moment to take stock. Where are the frontrunners, where are the gaps, and what are the practical next steps towards compliance? For me, that discussion should go beyond packaging design alone. PPWR affects materials, operations, investments, data, logistics and relationships throughout the value chain. The regulation is here; the interesting question now is how we make it work in practice. **Everyone will be discussing the PPWR. What do you think members of the supply chain sector will be saying about the Regulation?** One important discussion will be about who is responsible for what. We have already seen some uncertainty around private label, with retailers initially looking to place responsibilities further upstream with their private label manufacturers. That discussion has evolved, but it demonstrates how important it is to have clarity throughout the chain. Co-packers, contract manufacturers and private label producers cannot implement PPWR in isolation. They need clear specifications, timely decisions and the right information from brand owners and retailers. At the same time, they have their own responsibilities and need to understand exactly where these begin and end. And then there are very practical questions. How do we deal with transport packaging? Who owns the data? Who decides when packaging needs to change, and who carries the investment? PPWR is a value-chain regulation. Successful implementation will therefore require much more than individual companies becoming compliant: it requires the different parties to work together. **What has been your favourite packaging-related good news story from the past year?** For me, one of the most positive developments has been the increasingly prominent role of co-packers, contract-manufacturers and private label producers in the packaging and sustainability discussion. For a long time, these companies were often relatively invisible within the value chain. That is changing rapidly. Outsourcing is growing, private label continues to develop, supply chains are becoming more complex, and the companies actually producing, filling and packing products are becoming increasingly important. What I particularly welcome is that these companies are not only asking what others expect from them. More and more, they are asking what responsibility they themselves can and should take. That is important for sustainability and especially for PPWR. Regulations and packaging strategies ultimately have to work in real production environments. Giving these companies a stronger voice in the discussion is therefore not only recognition of their growing importance – it can also help us arrive at solutions that actually work in practice. **When you think about the 2026 Sustainable Packaging Summit, what is the part you are most excited for?** I am particularly looking forward to meeting many familiar faces from across the packaging value chain again. Events like the Sustainable Packaging Summit are useful milestones. We discussed many ambitions, concerns and unanswered questions at the previous edition. A year later, and with PPWR now a reality, it will be interesting to compare notes: where did we think we would be by now, where are we actually, and what have we learned along the way? For me, the value is very much in those conversations between people representing different parts of the chain – comparing practical experiences rather than only discussing theory. And this year I may bring an additional perspective. Shortly before the Summit I will be travelling through Argentina, so I am looking forward to seeing how packaging, recycling and sustainability are approached there. It might provide some interesting observations to bring back to Utrecht – and perhaps a few surprises as well. **If you liked this story, you might also enjoy:** [***The ultimate guide to global packaging sustainability regulation in 2026***](https://packagingeurope.com/features/report-the-ultimate-guide-to-global-packaging-sustainability-regulation-in-2026/14625.article/?ref=packaging-europe.ghost.io) [***PPWR timeline: the key dates to know***](https://packagingeurope.com/features/ppwr-timeline-the-key-dates-to-know/14377.article?ref=packaging-europe.ghost.io) [***A closer look at the most innovative packaging solutions***](https://packagingeurope.com/features/the-ultimate-guide-to-packaging-innovation-in-2026/13821.article?ref=packaging-europe.ghost.io) [***Strategic learnings from the Sustainable Packaging Summit***](https://packagingeurope.com/features/strategic-learnings-from-the-2025-sustainable-packaging-summit/13750.article?ref=packaging-europe.ghost.io)