Switzerland’s new Ordinance on Packaging introduces a framework that shares many objectives with the European Union’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), but important differences remain in areas such as recycling targets, reporting obligations and producer responsibilities. Both systems aim to improve packaging circularity, reduce waste and increase the use of recyclable materials, but they follow different regulatory approaches.

The Swiss Ordinance on Packaging (VerpV) replaces legislation introduced in 2000 and establishes new requirements for packaging placed on the Swiss market. While Switzerland is not part of the EU regulatory system, its updated rules reflect many of the same priorities seen in the PPWR, including design for recycling, material efficiency and improved recovery systems.

Both Switzerland and the EU are moving towards packaging rules that assess not only the material itself, but also how effectively it performs within real recycling systems.

Packaging design requirements

Under the Swiss VerpV, retailers and manufacturers must ensure that pre-filled packaging supplied from 1 January 2030 is designed for collection, treatment and recycling without creating unnecessary technical or economic barriers. Companies must also minimise packaging volume and weight while maintaining safety and hygiene requirements.

The Swiss rules require the highest possible proportion of recycled plastic where technically and economically feasible. Packaging containing substances of concern identified under Switzerland’s Chemicals Ordinance must also be avoided unless removing them would compromise functionality.

This approach closely aligns with the PPWR, which requires all packaging placed on the EU market to be designed for recycling by the same 2030 deadline. The European regulation also introduces minimum recycled-content requirements for plastic packaging.

• Single-use plastic beverage bottles: 30% recycled content by 2030 and 65% by 2040.
• Non-bottle contact-sensitive PET packaging: 30% by 2030 and 50% by 2040.
• Contact-sensitive non-PET packaging: 10% by 2030 and 65% by 2040.
• Other plastic packaging: 35% by 2030 and 65% by 2040.

The PPWR also introduces packaging minimisation rules, prohibiting unnecessary features such as double walls or false bottoms when they artificially increase packaging volume. These restrictions will apply unless specific exemptions are granted.

Chemical restrictions are another area of alignment. The European Chemicals Agency is expected to assess substances of concern in packaging, while the PPWR introduces restrictions on PFAS above defined thresholds from August 2026. Industry organisations have raised concerns that some requirements require clearer guidance before implementation.

Collection and recycling obligations

Switzerland and the EU both place strong emphasis on improved collection systems, although their approaches differ. Under the Swiss framework, beverage cartons and single-use plastic packaging will be subject to a subsidiary take-back obligation from 2031.

If companies are not part of an industry organisation responsible for managing packaging recovery, they must establish their own take-back system and clearly inform consumers where packaging can be returned.

Switzerland requires single-use plastic packaging to achieve a recovery rate of at least 55% by 2032, while beverage cartons must reach a 70% return rate. Companies failing to meet these obligations may become responsible for organising collection themselves.

The EU PPWR takes a different approach by requiring Member States to establish deposit return systems for certain single-use plastic beverage bottles and metal beverage containers by 2029. These systems must achieve at least 90% separate collection by weight each year.

Exemptions may be available for countries already exceeding the required collection performance or those presenting an approved improvement strategy.

Switzerland is also introducing advance disposal fees for certain glass packaging from 2028. Manufacturers and importers of domestic glass packaging will contribute financially to collection, sorting and recycling activities through a designated organisation.

Reporting and compliance

The reporting systems under the two frameworks also differ significantly. In Switzerland, companies subject to the glass advance disposal fee must report the number of packaging units placed on the market or imported every six months. Payments are then calculated based on this information.

The collected fees will finance glass collection, transport, sorting, processing and recycling. A limited proportion may also support information campaigns promoting reuse and material recovery.

From 2031, certain producers of single-use packaging will also need to submit annual electronic reports to Switzerland’s Federal Office for the Environment. This requirement applies to companies exceeding specific turnover and packaging volume thresholds.

In the EU, one of the most significant compliance requirements will be the Declaration of Conformity. From 12 August 2026, packaging placed on the EU market must be supported by a legally binding declaration confirming compliance with PPWR requirements.

The European Commission will introduce further reporting rules through delegated acts, with Member States expected to provide detailed statistics on packaging placed on the market, recycled quantities, collection performance and recycling capacity.

• Switzerland focuses heavily on producer obligations and targeted reporting.
• The EU framework introduces broader harmonised rules across Member States.
• Both systems encourage recyclable design and increased recycled content.
• Collection targets are mandatory in both approaches but use different mechanisms.

For packaging companies operating across Europe, the two systems create a complex compliance landscape. Although the objectives are similar, businesses will need to understand differences in deadlines, reporting formats, recycling targets and producer responsibilities.

The broader direction is clear: packaging markets are moving towards stricter requirements around recyclability, material efficiency and verified circularity. Companies that invest early in recyclable designs, recycled materials and transparent reporting systems will be better positioned to meet both Swiss and EU expectations.