EU Packaging Recycled-Content Targets 2030

Scope: what the regulation covers

Regulation (EU) 2025/40 applies to packaging placed on the EU market. For producers outside the EU, this is the trigger: the obligation attaches to placing packaging on that market, not to where the packaging was made. For Egyptian converters and exporters, the audience for this guide is therefore those supplying the EU.

The four 2030 targets under Article 7

Article 7 sets differentiated minimum recycled-content targets by packaging category, subject to definitions, calculation rules and exemptions in the regulation.

Contact-sensitive plastic packaging whose major component is PET, excluding single-use plastic beverage bottles	30%
Contact-sensitive plastic packaging made from plastics other than PET, excluding single-use plastic beverage bottles	10%
Single-use plastic beverage bottles	30%
Other plastic packaging	35%

There is no single figure. A widely repeated shorthand puts one flat percentage on every pack by 2030. The table above is the actual structure: the applicable minimum depends on the packaging category, and the obligation is subject to calculation rules and exemptions.

Why this becomes a processing problem

Raising recycled content lowers and destabilizes input quality. In PET, mechanical recycling reduces intrinsic viscosity, which shows up as poor melt strength, sheet instability and brittleness in thermoformed parts. In recycled PE, low melt strength limits blown film and blow moulding stability. In recycled PP, melt flow rate arrives mismatched to the target process. Each of these is addressable during extrusion.

How to talk about additives and compliance

Nexam Chemical solutions can help manufacturers restore processing performance while pursuing the recycled-content targets applicable to their packaging category. Compliance depends on packaging type, input material, calculation method, process validation, and documentation. Compliance is a property of a finished packaging item and its documentation — never of an additive on its own, and it should never be written as a blanket product claim.

Frequently asked questions

Does the regulation apply to Egyptian domestic packaging?

No. Regulation (EU) 2025/40 applies to packaging placed on the EU market. It does not regulate Egyptian domestic packaging as such. It becomes relevant to Egyptian producers when their packaging is placed on the EU market, directly or as packaging around exported goods.

Does one single percentage apply to every pack?

No. Article 7 sets four differentiated 2030 targets by category: 30% for contact-sensitive PET-based plastic packaging excluding single-use plastic beverage bottles, 10% for contact-sensitive plastic packaging made from plastics other than PET excluding those bottles, 30% for single-use plastic beverage bottles, and 35% for other plastic packaging.

Are there exemptions and calculation rules?

Yes. The targets are subject to definitions, calculation rules and exemptions set out in the regulation and in implementing acts. Whether and how a target applies to a specific product must be assessed against the current legal text.

Can an additive make packaging compliant?

No additive achieves compliance on its own. Compliance depends on packaging type, input material, calculation method, process validation and documentation. Additives address the processing performance problem that higher recycled content creates.

What is the practical first step?

Establish which category your packaging falls into and what recycled content you can currently run without losing performance. The gap between those two numbers is the technical problem to solve.

Source: EUR-Lex — Regulation (EU) 2025/40. This page is regulatory context, not legal advice. Verify the current consolidated text and any implementing acts for your specific packaging category before relying on a target.

EU recycled-content targets: what exporters actually need to know

Scope: what the regulation covers

The four 2030 targets under Article 7

Why this becomes a processing problem

How to talk about additives and compliance

Frequently asked questions

Assess your recycled-content ceiling