Free tool
Regulation (EU) 2025/40 grades packaging A, B or C against the Annex II design-for-recycling criteria — and from 1 January 2030, packaging below grade C cannot be placed on the EU market. Get an indicative first-pass grade now.
Question 1 of 4
What is the main material of the packaging?
The grading system
PPWR Article 6 defines three recyclability performance grades, measured per packaging unit against Annex II. There is no grade D or E.
Grade A — ≥ 95%
At least 95% of the packaging unit's weight is recyclable. The long-term safe harbour.
Grade B — ≥ 80%
At least 80% recyclable by weight. Stays on the market after the 2038 tightening.
Grade C — ≥ 70%
At least 70% recyclable by weight. Clears the 2030 bar — but exits the market on 1 January 2038.
Below C
Considered not recyclable under PPWR. Cannot be placed on the EU market from 1 January 2030.
Two dates anchor every packaging roadmap: 1 January 2030 (below-grade-C packaging banned) and 1 January 2038 (grade C banned in turn). The earlier you know your grade, the cheaper the redesign.
Method & limits
The estimator runs the same first-pass heuristic the PPWR Connect platform applies to a SKU before its component breakdown is entered: a base score per material family, polymer adjustments, a recycled-content bonus, and penalties for food-contact use and over-weight units. The thresholds mirror Annex II Table 3 (A ≥ 95%, B ≥ 80%, C ≥ 70%).
What it cannot see: component interactions — a PVC label on a PET bottle, carbon-black inks defeating NIR sorting, EVOH barriers above the mono-material ceiling, non-separable sleeves. Those are exactly the issues the full platform assessment catches from your real component data.
See the PPWR softwareJoin 45+ companies preparing for Regulation (EU) 2025/40 with PPWR Connect — Declaration of Conformity, recyclability grades and EPR obligations in one workspace. Free tier to start.
