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The European packaging landscape is undergoing a major transformation. With the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), the EU aims to significantly reduce packaging waste and mandatorily expand reusable systems.
The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation took effect in early 2025, with key requirements taking effect on August 12, 2026. Clear deadlines have been set for the horticulture and gardening sectors:
- Effective January 1, 2030: Single-use plastic trays will no longer be permitted in domestic B2B transport as of January 1, 2030.
- Also effective in 2030: For cross-border transport within the EU, a reusable quota of 40% will initially apply, with requirements set to increase in subsequent years.
This means that reusable packaging is shifting from a voluntary approach to a regulatory requirement. Particularly in industries with high volumes of circulation, such as the plant trade, garden centers, and home improvement stores, the EU Packaging Regulation requires a major transition. Systems must be adapted to circular usage cycles that include return, reuse, and traceable documentation.
Reusable Trays: Both a Challenge and an Opportunity
The mandatory transition will change not only the packaging material but, above all, the entire logistics process.
In the future, reusable trays will circulate between:
- Plant producers
- Wholesalers and retailers
- Garden centers and home improvement stores
- Logistics and take-back systems
This means that a tray is no longer a consumable item, but rather a durable asset in circulation.
This presents a clear opportunity for manufacturers and users:
Those who can uniquely identify and digitally track their reusable trays create transparency throughout the entire lifecycle—from production through multiple cycles to disposal.
Why Traditional Labeling Is Reaching Its Limits
In the past, disposable trays were often labeled with simple barcodes or QR codes. This was sufficient as long as the packaging was disposed of after just a few cycles.
However, in light of the requirements of the EU Packaging Directive, the standards are changing fundamentally:
- A high number of cycles over the years
- Mechanical stress caused by cleaning, transport, and stacking
- Moisture, dirt, and UV exposure
- Repeated scanning processes in logistics
Printed labels quickly reach their limits in this context. They become illegible or peel off, causing the tray to lose its digital identity.
RFID and In-Mold Marking as the New Standard
As the service life of packaging increases, so does the need for durable identification solutions.
One technology is increasingly gaining ground in this area:
RFID Tagging
RFID tags enable the contactless tracking of large quantities of trays in seconds without visual contact, even when they are dirty or stacked.
Advantages:
- Quick registration of entire shipments at goods receipt
- Automated processes at goods issue
- Unique identification of each individual tray
- Reduced manual scanning effort
In-Mold Labeling
An even more robust approach is to integrate the label directly into the plastic part during the injection molding process.
In this process, the label or RFID tag is firmly embedded into the structure:
- Extremely durable
- Tamper-proof
- Ideal for long-term reusable systems
Greater transparency throughout the entire supply chain
Where pallets or trays were once simply counted, digital cycles are now being established:
- Every cycle is documented
- Losses or missing returns are identified
- Inventory can be tracked in real time
- Processes in goods receipt and shipment are automated
This results in a significant gain in efficiency, particularly in the plant trade, where high volumes and fast turnaround times are the norm.
SIGMA: Your Partner for the EU Packaging Directive
The transition to reusable systems is not a one-time step, but rather a gradual transformation process. Existing single-use structures are still being phased out in parallel, while new return and tracking processes must be established.
SIGMA Enterprise Solutions GmbH supports this transition with its many years of experience in the field of AutoID and RFID systems. As a system integrator, SIGMA helps companies uniquely identify reusable trays, digitize processes, and make supply chains transparent.
The focus is not only on the technology itself, but on the entire process chain—from data capture and software integration to operational use in warehouses and during transport.
Conclusion: Reusable products take time
The EU Packaging Regulation (PPWR) is consistently driving the shift toward sustainable packaging systems. For companies, this means not only a change in materials but, above all, a new logistical reality.
Reusable systems can only function efficiently if every load carrier is uniquely identifiable. RFID and durable identification technologies are thus becoming a central component of future packaging logistics.
Those who invest early in suitable tracking and identification systems will lay the foundation for efficient, compliant, and cost-effective reusable systems before regulatory pressure and operational complexity increase further.
