The fresh produce packaging industry faces both challenges and opportunities, according to Patrick Gerritsen of Bio4Pack
As the EU edges closer to implementing its revised Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), set to take effect in August 2026, the packaging industry faces both a challenge and an opportunity. With broad goals to slash packaging waste, increase reuse and recyclability, and phase out unnecessary plastic, the PPWR is set to reshape packaging systems across Europe.
This will establish new standards that push manufacturers, retailers, and policymakers to rethink packaging design from the ground up. But while the regulation charts a bold course, many of its details – including which materials will be permitted for specific applications – remain unsettled.
One particularly critical and time-sensitive area is the packaging of unprocessed fresh produce under 1.5kg, a category the regulation specifically targets for single-use plastic bans. These include items like cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, and grapes – products that are not only perishable but also particularly sensitive to moisture, bruising, and microbial contamination.
As regulators and manufacturers seek compliant alternatives to conventional single-use plastics, compostable packaging stands out as a practical, scalable option that meets both environmental goals and operational demands.
The case for compostables
Compostable packaging for produce offers the combination of performance, sustainability, and regulatory alignment. These materials are designed to decompose in composting facilities, leaving no toxic residues behind and contributing to circularity by turning waste into compost that can be used on agricultural fields.
Unlike many ‘recyclable’ plastics – which often end up incinerated or landfilled rather than recycled, due to contamination or infrastructure gaps – compostables can offer a viable end-of-life pathway when properly collected and processed.
A 2022 European Commission study found that only 14 per cent of plastic waste in the EU was effectively recycled, with the rest incinerated, landfilled, littered, or exported. Much of this waste comes from packaging formats that are notoriously difficult to recycle – like films, wraps, and containers contaminated with food.
This is where compostable packaging can make a meaningful difference, as such packaging can be composted even if it contains scraps of food waste, especially that of fruits or vegetables. Enabling food and packaging to be disposed of together helps reduce contamination in waste streams – one of the most persistent pain points in today’s recycling systems – and makes the process more convenient for consumers.
Further, studies have shown that compostables help preserve the quality and shelf-life of fresh produce. For example, micro-perforated compostable films have been found to extend freshness by maintaining humidity and reducing spoilage. These qualities make compostables not only an environmentally sound solution, but also a functional one, capable of meeting real-world performance needs while reducing food and packaging waste.
Onus on the policymakers
The PPWR, as currently drafted, includes many progressive features, such as mandatory reuse targets, recycled content thresholds, and bans on specific single-use plastic formats. But the regulation stops short of fully outlining the role of compostable packaging, leaving it up to national governments and the European Commission to define when and where compostables are appropriate.
This is a critical moment for policymakers across member states to act. Compostable packing is not a fallback, it’s a forward-looking strategy that directly aligns with the intent of the regulation.
France has already taken bold steps in this direction: since January 2022, it has banned plastic packaging for over 30 types of fruits and vegetables, allowing certified home-compostable or industrially compostable materials to be used instead. Similarly, Italy has shown leadership with the launch of Biorepack, the world’s first Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme dedicated to compostable plastic packaging.
If other EU countries follow suit, aligning national policies with these examples, they can accelerate the adoption of compostable packaging, create consistency across markets, and drive the investment needed in composting infrastructure. The PPWR provides the framework – but it’s national policymakers who will shape how its vision is realised on the ground.
Aligning industry and infrastructure
The path to a circular packaging economy doesn’t hinge on a single material or policy, it depends on the strength of the entire system. Compostable solutions are ready, tested, and already making a difference in select markets. What’s needed now is alignment: between EU-level ambition and national-level implementation, between innovative materials and the infrastructure that supports them, and between environmental targets and the practical realities of day-to-day waste management.
As the PPWR enters its implementation phase, this is a rare chance to future-proof Europe’s packaging landscape. By proactively investing in composting capacity, setting clear and harmonised guidelines, and embracing a broader view of what sustainable packaging can look like, EU policymakers can turn potential into performance.
