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Why boxes, plastic film and pallets have become an environmental requirement, not just a work tool
A warehouse handles huge amounts of packaging every single day — cardboard boxes pallets stretch film tape and filling material. All that packaging is covered by rules that are getting stricter year by year because packaging waste is one of the largest sources of unnecessary waste in the entire supply chain. As a warehouse worker you are one of those who in practice determines whether the rules are followed.
EU is in the process of replacing the former packaging directive from the 1990s with a new packaging regulation (often called PPWR), which—unlike a directive—applies uniformly in all member states without national interpretation. The aim is to reduce packaging waste, increase recycling, and set binding targets for how large a share of packaging is actually recycled.
| Material | Target for recycling (2025) |
|---|---|
| Paper and cardboard | 75 % |
| Glass | 65 % |
| Iron and steel | 70 % |
| Aluminum | 50 % |
| Plastic | 50 % |
| Wood | 25 % |
Beyond the material-specific targets, there is an overall target that at least 70% of all packaging must be recycled by the end of 2030. The targets place demands on both packaging manufacturers and companies — including warehouses — that handle it on a daily basis.
The rules are based on the principle of extended producer responsibility: the manufacturer of packaging is responsible for it being collected and recycled or reused after the product has been used. In Denmark, the deposit system for beverage packaging is administered by Dansk Retursystem, where manufacturers pay a fee that covers the handling through the deposit system. The same logic – that someone is responsible for the packaging's entire life cycle – underlies the rules for transport packaging in general.
Sustainability in warehouse management is not about grand, symbolic gestures — it's about the many small, daily choices regarding packaging and sorting that warehouse staff make several times an hour. With tightened EU requirements on the horizon, this competence will only become more sought-after.