Legislative Landscape (CONT’D FROM PAGE 49)
laborate with their clients and suppliers to test, redesign, and certify solutions. While the PPWR is now in force, much remains unde- fined. “There are 40 pieces of secondary legislation still to come… and many critical definitions, like what counts as ‘packaging,’ are still unresolved,” said Francesca Stevens, Executive Director of EUROPEN. Key unresolved areas include: • Is release liner considered packaging or not? • What qualifies as compostable (home or industrial)? • Who bears what responsibilities; the brand owner, the label converter , or the raw material supplier? Though uncertainties pose significant compliance risks, FINAT warns that businesses cannot afford to wait pas- sively. “Despite the uncertainty… it’s still strongly advisable to start this process and put preparation in motion togeth- er with your partners across the value chain,” Stevens said. An Intelligent Economy Labels aren’t just part of circular material streams — they can also become enablers of a more intelligent, cir- cular economy. Jan ‘t Hart, AIM Europe/HolyGrail 2.0, introduced the progress of the Holy Grail 2.0 project, using digital wa- termarks for smart sorting. “We’ve proven that intelligent sorting delivers high purity rates… over 90% detection accuracy across 2.4 million packages”, commented Jan ‘t Hart, AIM Europe/HolyGrail 2.0,” discussing using digital watermarks for smart sorting. For converters, this presents two opportunities: • Innovation in print: digital watermarking can be inte- grated without additional printing steps; and •Customer value: smart labels can support brand trace- ability, transparency, and compliance. “Labels are central to the detection mechanism… with- out the label, the system can’t read the product,” said Hart. It’s a reminder that the label’s role is evolving from identifi- er and marketing tool to information infrastructure. Rather than resisting regulation, some in the industry are embracing it as a catalyst for innovation, said FINAT. Marius Tent of Ceflex and 360packmastery, as well as project manager at CELAB-Europe, summarized the CEL- AB-Europe 2.0 strategy as a platform aimed at matchmak- ing in order to scale circular solutions for release liner and matrix recycling. Tent emphasized that awareness gaps still plague the industry. Many co-packers and brand owners are unaware recycling solutions for liners exist. He also noted that scale is key; the more stakeholders join the initiative, the more viable recycling becomes eco- nomically. Thomas Reiner, Berndt & Partner, says t converters should expect global EPR schemes, material bans, rising carbon accountability, and resource scarcity.
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50 February 23, 2026
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