News and Statements

UKRPEC at the 18th “Packaging Industry” Conference: Focus on Sustainable
Development and New Packaging Requirements

The Ukrainian Packaging and Environmental Coalition (UKRPEC) took part in the 18th annual
“Packaging Industry” conference, which this year focused on “Packaging and Sustainable
Development in the Context of War.” Participants shared practical case studies covering all
stages of the packaging life cycle — from design development to recycling.

UKRPEC has been a permanent partner of the conference since its early years. Each year, the
Coalition presents the most relevant topics on government regulation of the packaging industry
and packaging waste management, as well as provides analysis of European best practices in
this field.

PPWR — a Challenge for Ukrainian Producers

The presentation delivered by Volodymyr Slabyi, Chair of the Executive Committee of UKRPEC,
focused on the sustainability and recyclability requirements for packaging in light of the adoption
of the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation 2025/40 (PPWR). This topic is relevant
for Ukrainian producers for at least two reasons.

First, access to EU markets will require compliance with the conformity assessment procedures
for packaging under the new Regulation. However, Ukraine currently lacks conformity
assessment bodies and accredited laboratories capable of issuing the documentation required
by EU legislation.

Second, the PPWR provisions will form the basis of the updated version of the draft Law of
Ukraine “On Packaging and Packaging Waste,” which is currently under discussion in the
Verkhovna Rada Committee on Environmental Policy and Nature Management.

Volodymyr Slabyi also briefed participants on a series of thematic online meetings held in
September-October at the initiative of the parliamentary Committee, dedicated to the new
version of the draft law. The organizers asked UKRPEC and packaging manufacturers to
provide comments regarding their preparedness to comply with the requirements set out in
Regulation (EU) 2025/40, specifically:

  • compliance of packaging with regulated substance content restrictions,
  • transition periods required by producers to meet the new obligations,
  • availability or lack of laboratory capacity in Ukraine for packaging conformity
    assessment.

On behalf of UKRPEC, Volodymyr Slabyi called on producers to respond to the organizers’
request and submit their proposals to the draft law.

Eco-Design and the Growth of the Recycled Materials Market

One of the key topics of the conference was packaging eco-design. Manufacturers confirmed
that consumers are increasingly choosing environmentally friendly solutions, and acknowledged
that Ukrainian legislation will soon set clear requirements in this area.

Ukrainian companies showcased a number of innovative developments — including paper cups
that can be recycled together with paper, and flexible paper-based packaging with a special
layer that dissolves in water during recycling. This type of packaging retains high barrier
properties, comparable to those of polymer materials.

A representative of Dow highlighted the rapid growth of the European recycled polymers market
and their application in packaging design. At the same time, he noted that in practice,
distinguishing recycled plastic from virgin plastic is almost impossible, which means companies
are currently only declaring the recycled content in their products. The speaker encouraged
Ukrainian manufacturers to actively participate in discussions on the new draft law and consider
whether mandatory requirements for recycled polymers should already be introduced in
Ukraine.

One of the Ukrainian producers presented an environmentally friendly alternative to polystyrene
— a honeycomb cardboard made from recycled paper that offers high strength and can replace
polystyrene in protective packaging, as well as be used for manufacturing transport pallets
(though only suitable for dry storage conditions).

A presentation by representatives of ARIS also attracted significant interest as they shared their
experience in obtaining EU-accredited conformity assessment for their packaging in Lithuania.
The speakers provided detailed insights into the challenging process Ukrainian companies must
undergo to achieve product conformity certification.

The 18th “Packaging Industry” conference once again reaffirmed its strong reputation and high
level of participation.

UKRPEC expresses its gratitude to the Packaging Club for organizing the event, for the
opportunity to address leading packaging manufacturers, and for its continued efforts to
preserve industry traditions and support innovative development.

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