Insight Focus
EU packaging rules reshape requirements for Brazilian exporters. The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) enters into force this month, introducing new sustainability requirements for packaging sold in the EU, including imported products. Brazilian exporters, particularly in coffee and meat, are investing in packaging innovation to meet the regulation’s recyclability and recycled-content targets.
The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), a European regulation establishing guidelines to make packaging more sustainable, comes into effect on August 12. The regulation also applies to imported products, with potential implications for exporting markets such as Brazil.
The regulation sets out a comprehensive set of obligations to be implemented gradually through 2030. In the first phase, which begins now, exporters will need to submit a declaration of conformity containing various technical details regarding packaging composition. For instance, they will be required to provide evidence that packaging weight and volume have been kept to the absolute minimum, thereby limiting the amount of raw material used.
“The rules also establish compostability requirements for tea and coffee bags and for labels used on fruit and vegetables. Packaging will also need to include a minimum share of recycled material,” said Rafaella Napolitano, European representative for the Packaging Institute, which focuses on education and research in the sector.
Napolitano, from the Packaging Institute. Publicity photo.
By 2030, the goal is for all packaging placed on the European market to be reusable or recyclable and to contain a minimum share of post-consumer recycled plastic (PCR).
“This will bring significant changes to the market. We should see the PPWR as an opportunity to improve environmental preservation,” Napolitano said. “Many Brazilian companies are already using more sustainable materials and investing in greener design.”
In any case, the European regulation is expected to accelerate the shift in the packaging market, increasing demand for materials that are easier to recycle and for solutions with a higher share of recycled plastic.
Coffee Industry Seeks Recyclable Alternatives
In Brazil, the regulation is expected to have the greatest impact on sectors such as roasted coffee, one of the country’s most important exports to the EU, and beef.
Source: Comex
For coffee, the main challenge will likely be replacing current packaging, which is made of layers of plastic and aluminium that help preserve the product’s aroma, with alternatives that have greater recycling potential.
The transition, however, faces technological challenges. Monomaterial coffee packaging, which can be made from polyethylene or polypropylene films and is easier to recycle, requires an additional barrier to preserve the product’s aroma and quality.
The industry has turned to materials such as ethylene vinyl alcohol to block oxygen ingress and preserve coffee’s characteristics. At the same time, investment is growing in fully recyclable packaging for the product.
Last year, Catarina Café e Amor, a coffee roaster, partnered with Valgroup, a plastics converter and recycler, to develop polyethylene packaging with a robust sealing layer designed to protect against moisture and oxygen ingress.
Major instant coffee producers, such as Três Corações, have been investing in the use of thin barrier coatings or ethylene vinyl alcohol in monomaterial sachets made with biaxially oriented polyethylene (BOPE) film. One of the main advantages is that the packaging meets the PPWR’s recycling requirements while preserving the properties of coffee.
Meatpackers Race to Meet PPWR Requirements
In beef, exports to the EU have increased in recent years, and one of the main goals is to expand the use of post-consumer recycled plastic (PCR) in packaging.
Source: Comex
But there are other challenges. For sanitary reasons, the protein cannot come into direct contact with plastic. Today, materials such as nylon are used as a barrier against contamination. By 2030, this solution will no longer be accepted in the EU because of its recycling complexity.
Brazilian meatpackers are looking for alternatives. JBS Ambiental, the environmental division of global meat processor JBS, has been investing in adapting polyethylene films for fresh meat packaging.
Minerva, meanwhile, has expanded the use of linear low-density polyethylene, a highly resistant material, in the inner sealing layer of its packaging. At the same time, Braskem has been working to certify high-barrier polyethylene resins in line with food safety requirements and EU specifications.
Food and Beverage Companies Embrace Lower-Impact Packaging
More broadly, food and beverage companies have been seeking to replace conventional materials with lower-impact alternatives. One example is NotCo, a plant-based beverage maker valued at USD 1.5 billion, which has been using recyclable paperboard packaging made from renewable sources.
The shift is also gaining ground among soft drink, juice, and alcoholic beverage producers, which are increasing their use of packaging aligned with ESG criteria. In April, Grupo Mariza, which operates in more than 10 Brazilian states, partnered with Ball, a global sustainable aluminium packaging company, to launch canned juice certified by the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative, a benchmark in the sector.
“Brands are increasingly seeking to align innovation and socio-environmental responsibility in their packaging decisions,” said Tamires Silvestre, Ball’s sustainability director for South America.
In Brazil, the use of glass bottles, which are fully recyclable, has grown over the past decade, especially in segments such as premium beverages, including craft beer.
Source: Euromonitor
Another trend gaining momentum is the use of thin-wall plastic containers, lightweight packaging with thinner walls that typically require less raw material to produce. These containers are generally made from a single polymer, usually polypropylene or high-density polyethylene, making them easier to recycle.
Source: Euromonitor
Demand has been rising particularly in the pet food segment, driven by consumers who are paying closer attention to both the appearance and sustainability of food packaging.
“People buying pet food increasingly see animals as part of the family and are placing greater value on packaging design and recyclability,” said Mariana Monti, research and development manager at Special Dog, a producer of food for dogs and cats, during the Packaging Institute’s Pack Tech Congress, held in São Paulo on July 1 and 2.
The market for monomaterial packaging and formats that require less raw material is expected to remain strong because of their sustainability benefits, according to Napolitano. “Other solutions are likely to emerge as a result of the PPWR, which is a very positive development,” she said.
