Do not place on the market any packaging in the formats and for the uses listed in Annex V -- single-use grouped packaging for multipacks, single-use packaging for unprocessed fresh fruit and vegetables, single-use packaging for food and drink consumed on premises in the HORECA sector, single-use condiment and sauce sachets, hotel miniature toiletries, and very light plastic carrier bags outside hygiene or loose-food use.

Economic operators placing packaging on the market are prohibited, and this is law in force.

Why it matters

This is law in force, not a proposal.

It is Art. 25(1), in the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation. as of 2026-08-18
The act gives its timing as: From 1 January 2030 (Art. 25(1)). as of 2026-08-18
It names 4 industries by name: Plastics converting, Food and drink, Retail and Hotels and restaurants. as of 2026-08-18
Compliance is checked by market surveillance authority, continuous. as of 2026-08-18

Addressee Economic operators placing packaging on the marketAct Regulation (EU) 2025/40, base actArticle Art. 25(1)Class Businesses

What changes

HORECA, retail and fresh-produce packers most directly. Genuinely new as EU-wide law: 94/62/EC had no format bans at all, only the carrier-bag reduction duty. Art. 70(4) lets Member States keep pre-2025 national restrictions on the Annex V point 2 and 3 formats until 1 January 2030, and suspends Art. 4(3) for them until then.

The rule

New — no predecessor

Trigger

packaging in an Annex V format placed on the market

Obligation

Do not place on the market any packaging in the formats and for the uses listed in Annex V -- single-use grouped packaging for multipacks, single-use packaging for unprocessed fresh fruit and vegetables, single-use packaging for food and drink consumed on premises in the HORECA sector, single-use condiment and sauce sachets, hotel miniature toiletries, and very light plastic carrier bags outside hygiene or loose-food use.

Who is affected

Addressee

Economic operators placing packaging on the market

Class

Businesses

Sectors

Names Plastics converting, Food, drink and tobacco, Retail and distribution, Hotels, restaurants and catering · Reaches Paper and board, Waste and landfill

Applies

From 1 January 2030 (Art. 25(1))

Burden drivers

D7 — 1 of 7 marks fire on this provision.

No size band is removed, but Art. 25(4) lets Member States allow MICRO-ENTERPRISES as defined in Recommendation 2003/361/EC to keep using the Annex V point 3 formats where it is demonstrably not technically feasible to avoid them or to reach re-use infrastructure. An eligibility carve-out on this duty, not a separate benefit.

Source text

Verbatim

From 1 January 2030, economic operators shall not place on the market packaging in the formats and for the uses listed in Annex V.

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