From high-end patisserie to fast food, Europe is accelerating the transformation of food packaging under the influence of EPR, societal expectations and the constraints of the PPWR.

From high-end pastries to fast food, the European agri-food industry is accelerating the transformation of its packaging to meet new societal expectations and stricter regulatory requirements. The rise of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) applied to food packaging is now acting as a catalyst: companies are reinventing their materials, reviewing their uses and strengthening their environmental commitment. At the heart of this change, Europe is positioning itself as the driving force behind an eco-responsible revolution that is redefining the codes of packaging design, European packaging and professional packaging.

 

Packaging: a vast and heterogeneous food sector, now forced to restructure

Food packaging covers a wide range of products: pastry boxes, plastic films, multi-layer trays, premium packaging, cardboard or bio-based solutions used in bakeries, chocolate shops and snack bars.

Until now, this diversity has led to highly variable practices and inconsistent recycling performance.

According to CiteoPro, the catering industry, and fast food in particular, is a good example of this complexity: a wide variety of formats, very high packaging turnover and significant operational constraints. EPR now imposes a more unified framework: clarified responsibilities, increased traceability, harmonisation of materials and mandatory financial contribution.

 

 

In the pastry industry, Emballage Écologique is observing a structural shift: the gradual abandonment of plastic in favour of cardboard packaging that is more attractive, lighter, more recyclable and better suited to changing consumer expectations.

This trend is spreading to the rest of the agri-food industry and is prompting brands to rethink their entire packaging chain.

The new regulatory landscape: what impact will it have on food packaging?

Mandatory financing and increased pressure on operators

EPR now requires marketers to finance the prevention, collection and treatment of their packaging.

According to Le Monde du Surgelé, this development is causing tension among out-of-home catering suppliers, who fear higher costs and increased administrative complexity.

This structural change particularly affects segments where packaging volumes are high and operating margins are low.


Enhanced traceability of materials

According to CiteoPro, companies will have to accurately report their tonnages, detail the materials used and demonstrate their recyclability.

This obligation, which now includes packaging used for snacks, pastries and fast food formats, will consolidate data that was previously too fragmented.

It also paves the way for future European circularity requirements.


A major acceleration in eco-design

EPR acts as a lever for innovation:

- premium pastries are turning to stylish, lighter, plastic-free cardboard packaging.
- food companies are reducing their packaging, optimising materials and introducing more recycled content into their formats.
- catering operators are looking for solutions that are suitable for high usage rates while reducing technical complexities. Eco-design is becoming a strategic as well as a regulatory criterion, already guiding the design of European packaging.

 

Food EPR: what should food packaging professionals anticipate?

The EPR transition is not limited to administrative compliance: it involves a complete reconfiguration of industrial practices.

Companies must anticipate:

- new eco-contributions modulated according to materials and volumes
- the obligation to provide accurate declarations for all their packaging;
- the reduction or elimination of composite packaging;
- enhanced dialogue with suppliers, processors, distributors and logisticians.

The tensions observed in the out-of-home catering sector show how important it is to support stakeholders in the face of such sweeping change.

In the pastry sector, on the other hand, these developments are seen more as a creative lever and a means of enhancing perceived value.

All of these changes are profoundly reshaping the industrial packaging and professional packaging used in the agri-food industry.

 

2026: a turning point for food packaging in Europe

By 2026, EPR for food will become a key pillar for the entire sector.

Companies will need to have detailed control over their materials, optimise their flows, strengthen traceability and integrate waste management costs.

The BEL Group emphasises that this transformation also represents an opportunity: reducing the carbon footprint, developing materials, improving circularity and aligning with European consumer expectations.

On a continental scale, this transition is part of a broader movement, driven by European regulations, which aim for packaging that is simpler, recyclable and circular.

While waiting to meet packaging experts at the ALLFORPACK EMBALLAGE PARIS trade show from 24 to 26 November 2026 in Paris Nord Villepinte, a webinar is planned for January on the theme of ‘An EPR for professional packaging more than 30 years after that for household packaging’.
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​More information to come.

image credit :  aninge-fetzer - Unsplash

image credit : agenlaku-indonesia - Unsplash

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