Drawing on discussions at CEFLEX’s March 2025 General Meeting, project coordinator Graham Houlder takes a shot at the biggest question around for (flexible) packaging.
If setting up PPWR was a long journey, delivering on it by 2030 is enough to make your head spin! Who needs to do what, when, and how? That’s exactly what we tackled at CEFLEX’s first of three 2025 stakeholder General Meeting’s this month.
We kicked things off by looking into the collective crystal ball for 2025-2030 with a panel of industry thought leaders, then dived into Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and design – two critical enablers of success.
Here are some of my key takeaways from some stimulating exchanges:
Joined-up thinking and action:
PPWR sets a level playing field with mandatory targets (from 2030), but making them a reality requires us to be more strategic, invested, and involved than ever. The industrial shifts and systemic changes needed to make targets reality won’t happen on their own or magically appear 1-1-2030. Our CEFLEX stakeholders re-confirmed our role as the go-to place for flexibles and circular packaging material insights and agree that we need to start now!
If you agree, why not join us?
EPR is the backbone of PPWR delivery and a sustainable circular economy:
EPR schemes are THE coordinating and strategic platforms to drive collection, sorting, and recycling aligned to end markets for circular materials. Their success = our success. Without them succeeding, flexible packaging won’t even be allowed on the market.
Member State action matters:
Reaching the 55% plastic packaging recycling target by 2030 requires a massive leap across Europe. National and regional collaboration is key. CEFLEX is stepping up as a change facilitator and independent expert where possible. Getting this right for flexible packaging = getting it right for all packaging. Look out for more on our “RoFlex” project and continued collaborations with mature schemes refining their understanding and approach to flexible packaging.
Design is and always will be key:
We have the knowledge to make the required shift in packaging design. CEFLEX’s ‘Phase 2’ testing program provides the additional robust, independent insights needed to act. Are they perfect? Nothing is… but it is the based on the best facts and insights available today – anywhere globally. The time for hesitation is over. If we wait, we fail.
I’m incredibly proud of the open, action-driven collaboration happening at CEFLEX and between our stakeholders.
We know what a fit-for-PPWR, #MissionCircular system looks like. We know the costs. We know the steps to make it happen.
The question is: Do we (all) have the courage to take the shot and hit the targets?
Let’s work together to find out.
Contact: info@ceflex.eu
Graham Houlder,
CEFLEX Coordinator