PPWR Packaging Data Requirements: What Data Do You Need to Collect?

Why packaging data matters under PPWR

The PPWR introduces requirements covering the entire life cycle of packaging placed on the EU market. This includes requirements related to:

• Packaging composition
• Recyclability
• Recycled content
• Packaging minimisation
• Substances of concern
• Reuse
• Labelling
• Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)
• Technical documentation

Meeting these requirements requires companies to understand their packaging at a much more detailed level than simply knowing whether something is "plastic", "cardboard" or "wood".

A company may need to know which material is used, how much is used, where it comes from, whether recycled material is included and which supplier provided the information. That makes structured packaging data an important foundation for PPWR compliance.

1. Identify every packaging component

Start by breaking packaging down into individual components. A packaged product might include:

• Cardboard box
• Plastic bag
• Protective foam
• Plastic film
• Labels
• Tape
• Wooden pallet
• Plastic straps

These components may belong to different packaging levels.

Primary packaging

Packaging directly associated with the product.

Secondary packaging

Packaging used to group one or more packaged products.

Tertiary packaging

Packaging primarily used for handling and transportation.

Instead of storing packaging as one generic entry, companies should create a structured record of the individual components associated with each product.

2. Record the material

For every packaging component, identify the material or materials used. Examples include:

• Corrugated cardboard
• Paper
• PET
• HDPE
• LDPE
• PP
• EPS
• Aluminium
• Steel
• Glass
• Wood

The more accurately materials are classified, the easier it becomes to evaluate recyclability and other PPWR requirements later.

Multi-material packaging deserves particular attention. For example, a packaging component consisting of paper, plastic coating and aluminium should not simply be recorded as "paper packaging". The actual material composition matters.

3. Record packaging weight

You should also know the weight of each packaging component. For example:

• Product box — corrugated cardboard — 420 g
• Protective bag — LDPE — 35 g
• Inserts — cardboard — 180 g
• Stretch film — LDPE — 22 g
• Pallet allocation — wood — 1.4 kg

Recording weight at component level creates a much stronger data foundation than recording only the total packaging weight. It also makes it possible to aggregate packaging data by material, supplier, product or packaging format.

4. Track recycled content

Recycled content is another important data point, particularly for plastic packaging. Companies should begin collecting information such as:

• Percentage of recycled material
• Post-consumer recycled content
• Virgin material content
• Material source
• Supplier declaration
• Supporting documentation

For example, an LDPE protective bag:

• Weight: 35 g
• Recycled content: 30%
• Supplier: Packaging Supplier AB
• Evidence: Supplier recycled-content declaration

The important part is not simply storing a percentage. You should also be able to demonstrate where that percentage came from.

5. Collect recyclability information

PPWR introduces increasingly strict recyclability requirements. Companies should therefore begin building information about whether packaging can be collected, sorted and recycled. Useful data may include:

• Material type
• Packaging format
• Number of materials
• Separability of components
• Coatings
• Adhesives
• Labels
• Inks
• Recycling stream
• Design-for-recycling assessment

This is particularly important for complex packaging. A cardboard box may appear straightforward, but coatings, adhesives, labels or plastic windows can influence how easily the packaging can actually be recycled.

6. Identify substances of concern

Companies should also understand whether packaging contains substances that may affect safety, recycling or circularity. This may require information from packaging manufacturers and material suppliers. Relevant documentation could include:

• Material declarations
• Chemical declarations
• Supplier specifications
• Safety documentation
• Certificates
• Test reports

For companies with hundreds or thousands of packaging components, collecting this information manually can become difficult very quickly.

7. Connect packaging to suppliers

Packaging data should not exist without a source. Every packaging component should ideally be connected to the supplier responsible for providing it. For example:

• Component: Protective foam insert
• Material: EPS
• Weight: 120 g
• Supplier: Nordic Packaging AB
• Recycled content: 15%
• Documentation: Material specification 2026
• Last verified: June 2026

This creates traceability. If information changes or additional evidence is required, you immediately know which supplier to contact.

8. Store the supporting evidence

One of the most important principles when building a PPWR data structure is: don't just store the answer — store the evidence behind the answer.

If a supplier states that packaging contains 40% recycled material, the declaration or document supporting that claim should be connected to the packaging record. Supporting evidence could include:

• Supplier declarations
• Technical data sheets
• Material specifications
• Certificates
• Laboratory reports
• Recyclability assessments
• Compliance declarations

This creates an audit trail and reduces the risk of having to reconstruct the information later.

What should a PPWR packaging dataset look like?

A basic packaging dataset could contain:

• Product: Industrial pump X200
• Packaging level: Secondary
• Component: Shipping box
• Material: Corrugated cardboard
• Weight: 620 g
• Recycled content: 75%
• Supplier: Example Packaging AB
• Country: Sweden
• Recyclability: Recyclable
• Evidence: Supplier declaration
• Data status: Verified
• Last updated: 2026-06-14

More advanced datasets may include additional information about substances, recyclability assessments, packaging formats and applicable regulatory requirements. The goal is to create a single structured packaging record that can be reused across compliance processes.

The supplier data problem

For many manufacturers, much of this information does not exist internally. Your packaging supplier knows the material composition. Another supplier knows the recycled content. Your logistics provider knows the transport packaging. Procurement has the technical specification. Sustainability has the environmental data. Quality has the certificates. And someone has an Excel spreadsheet containing half of everything.

This is why PPWR is not only a packaging challenge. It is a supply-chain data challenge. Companies need processes for requesting missing information, tracking supplier responses and identifying incomplete data.

Start with a packaging data gap analysis

You don't need perfect data from day one. A practical first step is to identify what you already know. Create a list of your packaging components and classify each required data point as:

• Available – information exists and has supporting evidence.
• Unverified – information exists but the source or evidence is unclear.
• Missing – information needs to be collected.

You may quickly discover patterns. Perhaps packaging weight is available for 90% of components, while recycled-content information exists for only 30%. That immediately tells you where supplier engagement should begin.

Don't build another PPWR spreadsheet

Spreadsheets can be useful for the initial mapping exercise. But PPWR compliance will increasingly require packaging information to be connected across products, packaging, materials, suppliers, evidence and compliance requirements.

That relationship becomes difficult to maintain when information is distributed across multiple files. Structured packaging data makes it easier to:

• Update supplier information
• Identify missing data
• Reuse packaging components across products
• Track documentation
• Assess compliance
• Generate reports
• Respond to customer requests
• Prepare for future regulatory requirements

The goal should not be to create a spreadsheet for PPWR. The goal should be to create a reusable packaging data foundation.

How EasyLCA can help

EasyLCA helps companies structure product, supplier and sustainability data in one place. Instead of manually chasing packaging information across emails and spreadsheets, companies can use EasyLCA to:

• Create structured packaging records
• Connect packaging to products
• Maintain material and composition data
• Request missing information from suppliers
• Track recycled content
• Store supplier documentation
• Identify missing data
• Maintain traceability
• Build reusable datasets for compliance and sustainability reporting

This allows the same underlying data to support multiple use cases instead of rebuilding the information for every new regulation or customer request.

Start collecting packaging data now

PPWR requirements are being introduced progressively, but building reliable packaging datasets takes time. For companies with large product portfolios and complex supplier networks, waiting until every technical requirement is finalised creates unnecessary risk.

Start with the fundamentals:

• What packaging do we use?
• What is it made from?
• How much does it weigh?
• How much recycled material does it contain?
• Who supplied it?
• Can we prove the information?

If you can answer those questions across your product portfolio, you are already building the foundation needed for PPWR compliance. And if you can't answer them yet, that is exactly where your PPWR work should begin.

Build your PPWR data foundation with EasyLCA

EasyLCA helps manufacturers collect, structure and maintain packaging and supplier data for upcoming regulatory requirements. Create packaging records, collect information from suppliers, store supporting evidence and identify data gaps — all in one platform.

Book a demo to see how EasyLCA can help you prepare for PPWR.