With the approval of the newPackaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), the packaging industry is facing a transformation that affects design, materials, recyclability, and the circular economy. This change impacts not only suppliers such as Niederwieser, but also—and above all—those who collect, sort, and recycle packaging once it becomes waste.
Montello S.p.A. operates daily in the sorting and recycling of post-consumer plastic packaging and offers a practical and authoritative perspective on what it truly means to make packaging recyclable in real-world conditions. For many years, we have maintained a close exchange and collaboration with Montello S.p.A., one of Italy’s largest and most advanced plastic recycling companies. This ongoing dialogue provides us with valuable insights into the realities of sorting, recycling, and transforming used packaging into new raw materials. It helps us better understand which packaging structures support efficient recycling processes—and which still present challenges.
We consider this knowledge a valuable resource that should not remain within our organization. By sharing the experience gained through collaboration with recyclers and partners across the value chain, we help our customers make informed packaging decisions. Through consulting and technical support, we guide them in selecting materials and structures that not only meet performance requirements but also improve recyclability and promote a more circular packaging economy.
The true sustainability of packaging is measured at the end of its life cycle. As Francesca Sancinelli, Vice President of Montello S.p.A., highlights: “Well-designed packaging is packaging that does not become waste but is transformed into secondary raw material.”
Properly designed packaging therefore becomes a resource that can re-enter the production cycle and create new value. For this reason, design choices have a direct impact on the actual recyclability of packaging and on the quality of the recovered material.
Guidelines developed by specialized organizations such as RecyClass and Plastica Seconda Vita are now important references for design-for-recycling approaches. Among the most relevant principles is the preference for mono-material structures, which are generally more compatible with mechanical recycling processes than multi-material packaging made of bonded plastic layers.
Beyond material composition, packaging must also be correctly recognized and managed by existing collection and sorting infrastructures. Packaging that cannot be identified by the Near Infrared (NIR) optical sorting systems used in recycling facilities may be discarded, even if the material itself is theoretically recyclable.
In this context, certain design choices, such as the use of black pigments, can hinder material recognition and significantly reduce the chances of recovery. The same attention should be given to labels, adhesives, inks, and accessory components, which should be easily removable during washing and treatment processes.
Eco-design influences not only whether packaging can be recycled, but also the quality of the material recovered through the recycling process.
In the recycling industry, a key principle applies, effectively summarized by Francesca Sancinelli: “Value in equals value out.” The quality of the output material depends directly on the quality of the material entering the recovery process.
Packaging designed according to recyclability criteria enables the production of purer, higher-performing recycled polymers suitable for new industrial applications. Conversely, complex structures that are difficult to separate create contamination that reduces the value and usability of the recovered material.
Packaging design is therefore the first link in a chain that ultimately determines the competitiveness and future availability of recycled raw materials.
The entry into force of the PPWR marks a structural change that Sancinelli describes as a true “Copernican revolution” for the packaging industry.
The regulation introduces increasingly stringent requirements regarding recyclability and minimum recycled post-consumer content (PCR), turning eco-design from a voluntary choice into a strategic requirement for regulatory compliance.
The new regulatory framework operates on two levels. On one hand, it introduces eco-modulation of environmental fees within Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) systems, rewarding packaging designed according to circularity principles while penalizing packaging that is more difficult to recycle.
On the other hand, it foresees increasingly strict restrictions, up to the possible exclusion from the European market of packaging formats that fail to meet recyclability requirements.
In this context, sustainable packaging design becomes a decisive factor not only from an environmental perspective but also from an economic and competitive standpoint.
The transition to a circular economy requires a profound shift in supply chain dynamics.
Packaging design can no longer be addressed in isolation. Producers, converters, brand owners, users, and recyclers must collaborate from the earliest stages of packaging development.
Involving recyclers during the design phase is becoming increasingly strategic. As Sancinelli points out, “The recycler will need to sit at the design table before the packaging is industrialized,” enabling stakeholders to verify compatibility with existing recycling processes, avoid solutions that are only apparently sustainable, and reduce research and development costs and timelines.
At the same time, the industry must move beyond a widespread assumption: that recycled plastic should always cost less than virgin plastic.
Producing high-quality secondary raw materials requires significant investment in technology, energy, logistics, and advanced treatment processes.
For many companies, using recycled material will therefore not primarily be a cost-saving measure, but rather a necessary condition for ensuring regulatory compliance, maintaining market access, and mitigating the economic impact of EPR mechanisms.
The strategic value of recycled materials will increasingly lie not in their price, but in their ability to ensure business continuity and compliance with the requirements of the emerging circular economy.
