Europe leads the way, The Paper Bag complies
The PPWR applies from 12 August 2026. The anti-greenwashing rules, from 27 September. And the EUDR arrives on 30 December. Here’s what’s changing, when, and what it has to do with the bag on your counter.
The Roadmap
It's not a single regulation, but a single strategy.
The context in which the paper bag operates has changed. The European Union is driving a regulatory transformation towards a more circular, transparent, and resource-efficient economy.
This transformation is not a response to a single regulation. The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), the Deforestation-free Products Regulation (EUDR), the new legislation on environmental claims and policies promoting the circular economy are all part of the same strategy.
Europe is paving a very favourable path for the paper bag.
The Three Essentials
What each requires and what it means for retail
Regulation
PPWR
Redefines how packaging should be conceived: design for recycling, waste reduction, and common requirements across the Union.
For retail: the bag you provide is now subject to European recyclability criteria.
Regulation
eudr
Requires accreditation of a deforestation-free origin and compliance with the legislation of the country where the raw material is obtained.
For retail: the supplier must be able to demonstrate the origin of the fibre.
Directive
2024/825
Amends the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive. Generic environmental claims become misleading advertising if they cannot be substantiated.
For retail: what is said about the bag must be proven.
Four Dates Already Underway
12 Aug 2026
In Force
PPWR
Application of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation begins.
27 Aug 2026
In Force
Environmental Claims
Directive (EU) 2024/825: unverified green claims are over.
30 Dec 2026
Coming Soon
EUDR
Large and medium operators, traders, and downstream operators.
30 Jun 2027
Coming Soon
EUDR - Micro-enterprises
Micro-enterprises for other products and operators who are natural persons.
End of Greenwashing
"Ecological" and "green", without proof, are over
For years, environmental communication was full of words like ecological, green, or sustainable: well-intentioned expressions not always accompanied by supporting information.
From 27 September 2026, Directive (EU) 2024/825 requires all environmental claims to be clear, verifiable, and demonstrable. For the paper bag, this is not a threat, but an opportunity to explain its qualities with documents instead of adjectives.
The new European legislation puts an end to greenwashing. Everything asserted about packaging must be duly proven.
Sustainability is no longer declared.
it is demonstrated.
End of Greenwashing
Requirements already met by the paper bag
The paper bag responds particularly consistently to the direction set by Europe. Its renewable origin, traceability, and recyclability are not new arguments: these are characteristics that the sector has been documenting and certifying for years.
That is why it can stand by what it says. The certified origin of its fibre and recovery figures exist, have a source, and can be audited. For retail, that means being able to confidently explain its choice in a scenario where saying it without proving it is now costly.
The paper bag is an example of sustainability demonstrated throughout all phases of its life cycle.
Blog
Blog articles on European regulations
About Us
Who manufactures these bags?
Behind every paper bag there is much more than just a product. There are forest owners, engineers, technicians, designers, and companies that have been innovating for decades to meet the needs of the retail sector.
We are manufacturers of bags, paper, handles, inks, and machinery, united to promote sustainable consumption and innovate in service of retail and consumers.
Long before Europe promoted the new regulatory framework, the paper bag was already moving in that direction. The future doesn’t start today: it has been built over many years.