The essential requirements of the packaging and packaging waste directive

According to EU's packaging directive all packaging that is introduced on the European market shall comply with the following constructional requirements, the so-called essential requirements:

• their weight and volume shall be minimised,
• they shall be recoverable either as material, energy or compost, and
• they may not contain any unnecessary amount of environmentally dangerous substances. Any contents of heavy metals shall not exceed the specified limits.

Six standards show compliance with the requirements
The methods used to show compliance with the requirements are specified in six harmonised EN-standards:

• User manual SS-EN 13427
• Material optimisation SS-EN 13428
• Reusable packaging SS-EN 13429
• Material recoverable packaging SS-EN 13430
• Energy recoverable packaging SS-EN 13431
• Compostable packaging SS-EN 13432

All packaging should comply with the requirements in the material optimisation standard, which demands that the weight and volume of a package be minimised and not contain any unnecessary amounts of eco-toxic substances. All packaging should also comply with the requirements in one of the three last standards which refer to recovery. There is a special standard for packaging intended for repeated use. The first standard is a manual on how to use the other five standards.

Whom does this concern?