EU Single-Use Plastics Directive: Where PP Containers Stand

What the directive actually says

The directive sorts single-use plastics into three groups, with different obligations:

PP sits in the middle group, not the banned group. This is the single most misread point in the category — buyers regularly ask for "SUP-compliant" material and expect a certificate that proves PP is allowed. There is no such certificate. Compliance means registration and fees, not a material approval.

The 2024 change on caps

From 3 July 2024, beverage containers and cups with a capacity up to 3 litres must have caps that stay attached during use. This applies to drink cups, not to food containers with lids.

If you are buying a drink cup in PP, and your customer is in the EU, the lid must be tethered. If you are buying a food container, the tethered-cap rule does not apply, but the EPR obligation does.

What your EU customer has to do — and what they will ask you for

The producer (the brand placing the product on the market, usually your customer) registers in each member state where they sell. They need two things from you:

1. Material composition by weight — PP body, PP lid, any label, any seal film. They report this in tonnes.
2. Confirmation of single-use status — is the container designed for a single trip?

That is it. Nothing about your factory, your certifications or your resin brand. The EPR scheme charges by weight and by material type.

Where suppliers get into trouble is on the weight figure. If you declare "20 g per container" and the customer's national register expects packaging weight including the carton and the pallet, the numbers do not reconcile. Declare the product weight and the packaging weight separately.

Marking: what goes on the container

There is no harmonised EU marking for PP food containers. What exists is national:

An IML-printed container in France needs the Triman mark printed in, which changes your print plate. Budget for it at the artwork stage, not after.

The real commercial impact

The directive did not reduce PP volume; it moved cost. Three effects on buyers:

• EPR fees add a few cents per kilo, passed down in the price or absorbed by the brand
• Reusable or refillable programmes are encouraged, which favours thicker containers — our 30–40 g range is better placed than 19 g thin-wall for that use
• Recyclability by design is now a purchasing criterion — mono-material PP with a PP lid sorts cleanly; a PP body with a PET lid does not

What to ask a supplier, in order

1. Is the body and lid both PP, same grade family? (mono-material sorts better)
2. What is the exact weight of body and lid, separately?
3. Can the label be printed in-mould rather than applied? (no separate label = cleaner recycling)
4. Which pigment system — does it affect recyclability?
5. Can you supply a declaration of composition for EPR reporting?

If a supplier cannot answer 1, 2 and 5, they have not shipped to the EU under the directive.

FAQ

Is PP banned in Europe? No. EPS containers are banned under Annex Part B. PP remains legal.

Do I need a certificate for SUP compliance? No. There is no product certificate. Compliance is a registration obligation on the producer.

Does the tethered cap rule apply to my lunch box? No — it applies to beverage containers and cups, not food containers.

Is PP recyclable? Yes, code 5, and it is widely collected in industrial streams. Household collection varies by country. Mono-material design improves the outcome.

Related reading

• Germany VerpackG and France Triman: EPR Registration for Food Packaging
• How PP Lunch Boxes Are Made: Inside an Injection Molding Food Container Factory
• Private Label Program for Distributors

Models covered on this site: 2500 ml PF-RW2500 · 1000 ml PF-RW1000 · 1000 ml PF-SQ1000S · see all models in this category.