From 1 January 2030, economic operators may not place on the market packaging in the six formats and for the uses listed in Annex V (Article 25(1)). Each ban is tied to a use, not just a material: plastic film is not banned as such, but plastic shrink-wrap that bundles cans into a convenience multipack is. According to the Commission’s guidance, paper-based or composite packaging with more than 5 % plastic counts as plastic for points 1–4.
Who this applies to: fillers, retailers, caterers and hotels that place these formats on the market, and the packaging suppliers whose customers will stop buying them. Who it does not: uses outside the listed ones — take-away food, for example, is outside point 3, which covers food and drink filled and consumed on the premises.
All six restrictions at a glance
| # | Format | Restricted use | Main exceptions | Examples in Annex V |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Single-use plastic grouped packaging | Grouping bottles, cans, tins, pots, tubs and packets at the point of sale as convenience packaging to encourage buying more than one | Grouped packaging necessary to facilitate handling | Collation films, shrink wrap |
| 2 | Single-use plastic packaging for unprocessed fresh fruit and vegetables | Pre-packed quantities under 1.5 kg | Member States may exempt where needed against water or turgidity loss, microbiological hazards, physical shock, oxidation, or organic/non-organic mixing | Nets, bags, trays, containers |
| 3 | Single-use plastic packaging in HORECA | Food and drink filled and consumed within the premises, including shared eating areas | Establishments without access to drinking water | Trays, disposable plates and cups, bags, boxes |
| 4 | Single-use plastic portion packs in HORECA | Condiments, preserves, sauces, coffee creamer, sugar and seasoning | Supplied with take-away ready-prepared food; required for hygiene where there is a medical need for individualised care (hospitals, clinics, nursing homes) | Sachets, tubs, trays, boxes |
| 5 | Single-use packaging in the accommodation sector | Cosmetics, hygiene and toiletry products for an individual booking, discarded before the next guest | — | Shampoo bottles, lotion bottles, sachets around bar soap |
| 6 | Very lightweight plastic carrier bags (wall thickness below 15 microns) | All uses | Bags required for hygiene, or supplied as sales packaging for loose food where this helps prevent food waste | Very thin bags for bulk groceries |
Note that point 5 is not limited to plastic: it covers single-use packaging of any material for in-room toiletries. The other five points concern plastic.
How much plastic makes it “plastic”?
Annex V does not define “single-use plastic packaging”. The Commission’s guidance (sections 16 and 17) reads it together with the definition of composite packaging, which treats a material making up no more than 5 % of the unit’s mass as insignificant. Its conclusion: a coated paper cup or tray with more than 5 % plastic falls under points 1–4; packaging with no more than 5 % plastic does not. The guidance is not binding, but it is the reading market surveillance authorities are likely to start from.
The Commission’s wording varies between “5 % or more” and “not more than 5 %”, which leaves a pack at exactly 5 % ambiguous. If your design sits on the line, document the measured plastic share and its method in the technical file.
Derogations and national rules
| Provision | Effect |
|---|---|
| Art. 25(2) | Member States may keep restrictions adopted before 1 January 2025 on the listed formats and uses made from materials not listed in Annex V |
| Art. 25(4) | Member States may let micro-enterprises keep using point 3 HORECA packaging where avoiding it, or accessing re-use infrastructure, is shown to be technically unfeasible |
| Art. 25(3) | The bans are without prejudice to national compostability mandates kept under Article 9(2)(b) |
| Art. 70(4) | National restrictions on point 2 and point 3 formats may stay in place until 1 January 2030 |
The Single-Use Plastics Directive also continues to apply. For point 3, Article 25 prevails over the Directive’s consumption-reduction measures; for cups and food containers outside Annex V, national SUP measures can remain after 2030. See how the PPWR amends the SUP Directive.
Dates to plan around
| Date | Event | Article |
|---|---|---|
| 12 Feb 2027 | Commission guidelines explaining Annex V, with examples and a non-exhaustive list of fruit and vegetables excluded from point 2 | 25(6) |
| 1 Jan 2030 | All six restrictions apply | 25(1) |
| 12 Feb 2032 | Commission review of Article 25 and Annex V; possible new restrictions | 25(5) |
What to do now
- Flag affected SKUs by use, not material. The same film can be legal as transport wrap and banned as a convenience multipack.
- Measure plastic content of paper-based cups, trays and sachets against the 5 % line.
- Check point 1 against handling need. If grouping is needed for handling, record why; that is the exception.
- For fresh produce under 1.5 kg, watch the 2027 guidelines and national exemption lists before switching formats.
- Talk to HORECA and hotel customers early — points 3 to 5 usually mean a move to re-use or bulk dispensing, which takes longer than a material change.
Frequently asked
Are take-away cups and clamshells banned in 2030?
Not by Annex V point 3, which is limited to food and drink filled and consumed on the premises. Separately, expanded polystyrene food containers, beverage containers and cups are already banned under the SUP Directive, and the PPWR adds extruded polystyrene to that ban from 12 February 2029.
Does point 6 ban all thin plastic bags?
No. It covers very lightweight carrier bags below 15 microns, and exempts those needed for hygiene or supplied as sales packaging for loose food where they help prevent food waste.
Can stock made before 2030 still be sold?
Article 25(1) restricts placing on the market, meaning the first making available in the EU. It does not address sell-through of units placed on the market earlier, so check national enforcement guidance before relying on old stock.
Next: check your formats in the packaging checker, or see every 2030 date on the timeline.
