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A strategic guide for general management on the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation and Switzerland’s 2026 Packaging Ordinance (VerpV)
The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) and Switzerland’s Packaging Ordinance (VerpV) pursue the same goal: cutting packaging waste and building a circular economy. However, the two regulations do not use the same tools to get there. The EU relies on binding bans and fixed quotas. Switzerland relies on reporting duties, fees, and rules that only tighten if industry falls short of its own targets. Companies selling packaged goods in both markets need to track both frameworks separately, since compliance with one does not cover the other.
PPWR (Regulation (EU) 2025/40) was adopted in December 2024 and applies since August 12, 2026, with further requirements phased in through 2040. VerpV was adopted by the Swiss Federal Council on June 24, 2026, and enters into force on January 1, 2027, replacing the Ordinance on Beverage Packaging (VGV) from 2000. Both apply to businesses placing packaging on their respective markets, regardless of company size, though each includes some relief for smaller companies.
Where PPWR and VerpV Agree
PPWR and VerpV share three main commitments: limiting packaging to the minimum necessary, designing packaging for recyclability, and requiring companies to report what they place on the market.
Packaging minimization. Both regulations cap packaging weight and volume at what is needed for safety, hygiene, and product protection, and both ban design choices meant only to make a product look bigger than it is. Under PPWR (Articles 10 and 24), a maximum 50% empty-space ratio applies to grouped, transport, and e-commerce packaging from January 1, 2030. Double walls, false bottoms, and other features added purely to increase perceived volume are explicitly prohibited. VerpV (Article 3) sets a parallel requirement from the same date: packaging must be limited to what safety and hygiene demand, and features designed only to inflate a product’s apparent size are banned.
Design for recyclability. Both frameworks require packaging to be physically recyclable, not just theoretically collectible. PPWR (Article 6) introduces recyclability performance classes A, B, and C from January 1, 2030. Packaging that falls below Class C cannot be placed on the EU market, and by 2038 only Classes A and B will remain allowed. VerpV (Article 3) requires packaging to be technically suitable for collection, sorting, and high-quality recycling from the same date, without the EU’s letter-graded class system.
Reporting and producer responsibility. Both countries require companies to report what they place on the market, though the burden differs by size. PPWR (Articles 44 and 45) requires a national producer registry, with annual reporting for anyone placing packaging on the EU market, and includes administrative relief for micro-enterprises. VerpV (Articles 21 to 24) requires companies to report packaging weights by material. Switzerland limits this duty to companies with turnover above CHF 1 million that place more than 500 kg of packaging on the market each year.
Where PPWR and VerpV Diverge
The EU legislates through direct bans and fixed numbers. Switzerland legislates through reporting, fees, and conditional rules that escalate only if voluntary industry targets are missed. Four differences matter most for general management.
Bans vs. subsidiary rules. PPWR bans specific single-use plastic formats outright from January 1, 2030, including grouping films for multipacks, packaging for fresh fruit and vegetables under 1.5 kg, and single-use cups and plates for dine-in service. VerpV avoids outright bans. Instead, Article 4 sets a subsidiary return obligation: businesses must take back beverage cartons and single-use plastic packaging free of charge at the point of sale, unless they join a collective industry recycling scheme. The ordinance also sets minimum recycling rates of 70% for beverage cartons and 55% for single-use plastic packaging. If industry does not meet these rates voluntarily, the Swiss government can impose a deposit requirement (Pfandpflicht).
Recycled content quotas. PPWR (Article 7) sets binding minimum percentages for recycled plastic content, rising over time. For contact-sensitive PET, such as beverage bottles, the quota is 30% by 2030 and 65% by 2040. Other contact-sensitive plastics must reach 10% by 2030, and other plastic packaging must reach 35%. VerpV (Article 3) requires the highest possible share of recycled material without setting a fixed percentage, leaving the exact figure to what is technically and economically feasible.
Deposit return systems. PPWR (Article 50) requires all EU member states to run a deposit return system for single-use plastic bottles and metal cans up to 3 liters by January 1, 2029, targeting 90% separate collection. VerpV takes a narrower approach: a deposit of at least 30 Rappen applies to reusable beverage containers once the ordinance enters into force. For single-use glass, PET, and aluminum, Switzerland sets a 75% target recycling rate, and a deposit on single-use formats only becomes mandatory if that voluntary rate is missed.
Switzerland’s glass fee (VEG). The EU funds glass recycling through eco-modulated EPR fees built into its general producer responsibility system. Switzerland instead keeps a dedicated Advanced Disposal Fee, the vorgezogene Entsorgungsgebühr (VEG), on glass, charged per bottle at 1 to 10 Rappen. The fee already applies to beverage glass and extends to food and cosmetics glass packaging from January 1, 2028.
Key Deadlines for PPWR and VerpV
Both regulations phase in over several years. These dates matter most for planning:
- January 1, 2027: VerpV enters into force in Switzerland, replacing the 2000 Ordinance on Beverage Packaging. Deposits of at least 30 Rappen on reusable beverage containers apply from this date.
- January 1, 2028: Switzerland’s VEG glass fee extends to food and cosmetics packaging.
- August 12, 2028: Harmonized EU-wide labeling for packaging material composition becomes mandatory.
- January 1, 2029: EU deposit return systems for single-use plastic bottles and metal cans must be operational.
- January 1, 2030: EU bans on specified single-use plastic formats, the 50% empty-space limit, and the first recycled content quotas take effect. Switzerland’s minimization and recyclability requirements apply from the same date.
- January 1, 2031: Swiss reporting duties and subsidiary take-back obligations for beverage cartons and single-use plastic packaging become legally binding.
What This Means for Businesses Selling in Both Markets
Swiss law does not exempt companies from EU rules. If your business is based in Switzerland but exports to the EU, PPWR applies to that packaging regardless of what VerpV requires domestically. Meeting VerpV alone is not sufficient for EU market entry, and meeting PPWR alone is not sufficient for the Swiss market, since VerpV includes reporting and take-back duties that PPWR does not.
Three steps help ahead of the 2030 deadlines that apply in both markets:
- Audit packaging formats against both frameworks. Check for empty-space violations and single-use plastic formats that PPWR will ban outright, and confirm VerpV’s minimization and recyclability rules separately.
- Track recycled content requirements by market. PPWR’s quotas are fixed and rising. VerpV’s requirement is qualitative, but demand for certified recyclates will increase in both markets as 2030 approaches.
- Set up material-level data tracking now. Both regulations require precise data on packaging weight, volume, and material composition, and manual tracking becomes difficult to sustain once EU and Swiss reporting duties overlap.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between PPWR and VerpV?
PPWR relies on binding EU-wide bans and fixed quotas, while VerpV relies on reporting duties, fees, and rules that only escalate if Swiss industry misses its own voluntary targets. Both aim to cut packaging waste and support a circular economy, but the EU regulates through direct legal requirements and Switzerland regulates through conditional, market-driven mechanisms.
When does VerpV enter into force?
VerpV enters into force on January 1, 2027, replacing Switzerland’s 2000 Ordinance on Beverage Packaging (VGV). Deposits of at least 30 Rappen on reusable beverage containers apply from that date.
Does a Swiss company have to comply with PPWR?
Yes, if the business exports packaged goods to the EU. That packaging must comply with PPWR regardless of what VerpV requires domestically, since meeting VerpV alone is not sufficient for EU market entry.
Does Switzerland have a deposit return system for packaging?
Switzerland currently mandates a deposit of at least 30 Rappen only on reusable beverage containers, not on single-use packaging. A deposit on single-use glass, PET, and aluminum packaging only becomes mandatory if the voluntary 75% recycling target is missed.
Does VerpV set a recycled content percentage, the way PPWR does?
No. PPWR sets binding quotas, for example 30% recycled content for contact-sensitive PET bottles by 2030, rising to 65% by 2040. VerpV requires only the “highest possible share” of recycled material, based on what is technically and economically feasible, without a fixed number.
How PAQR Can Help
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