Small in weight, significant in consumption

The PPWR (Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation) entered into force on 11 February 2025 and has largely applied since 12 August 2026; other obligations are being phased in. For tape, the main point is that you must be able to substantiate that you do not use more material than the closure requires. That starts with a figure most businesses do not have.

Rolls per month tell you little, because a roll says nothing about how many boxes it closed. The useful figure is metres of tape per box, from which you can derive kilograms per year. Count the number of strips per box and the length of each strip, including the overlap at both ends. Use the tape calculator to assess which carrier and adhesive suit your application and which width matches the box weight; the properties of each carrier and adhesive type are listed in the material guide.

That last point is central to the decision. An H-seal is not a luxury: on heavy or large boxes, it keeps the cross-seams closed and prevents the box from opening. But it is not a default either. A long closing seam does not automatically require more tape, because the overlap sits perpendicular to the seam. For a large but light box, an H-seal in the standard width is a better choice than switching to wider tape.

Under the PPWR, packaging is assessed as a whole. A 600 gram box with 4 grams of tape is therefore not a box plus a detail, but one packaging unit in which the tape is a component. In paper recycling, plastic tape is largely screened out in the pulper. The issue is not that this makes the box unusable, but that every non-paper component places a burden on the stream and affects the quality of the secondary fibre.

This makes the question more specific than “which tape is the most sustainable?”. A more useful question is: how much non-paper material do you add to each box, and is it necessary for the closure you require? A thinner strip that comes loose is not a gain. A second strip used only because the case-sealer settings have never been adjusted is.

Tape is a product category with many sustainability claims and little supporting documentation. In practice, the following four questions are the most useful, and all can be answered using information a manufacturer should hold:

• What is the complete construction? Carrier, carrier thickness, adhesive system, adhesive weight and any release coating. Without these figures, you cannot calculate kilograms and therefore cannot demonstrate a reduction.
• What is the recycled-content claim based on? What proportion is claimed, which unit was used to measure it, and is it post-consumer material or production waste? The distinction is significant and is often omitted.
• What are the product version and revision date? Tape reformulated last year is a different product from the one on which your assessment was based.
• What evidence supports recyclability? Do not merely ask whether it is recyclable. Ask what that statement is based on and which recycling route it refers to.

The page on supplier information explains what to do with the answers and how to record them for each packaging unit. If you receive no answer, that is also an outcome: record the question, the date and the absence of a response, so it remains clear that you asked.

Paper tape and the 5% rule

Self-adhesive paper tape is not entirely paper: it has an adhesive layer and a thin plastic release coating. The Regulation states that a material forming an insignificant share, no more than 5% of the total mass of the packaging unit, does not automatically cause it to be classified as composite packaging. That is precisely what it is: a classification rule. It says nothing about how the tape behaves in paper recycling and is not permission to present paper tape as unproblematically recyclable. Obtain the exact material construction and recycling evidence for each product.

R-PET is not conformity

An R-PET carrier can contribute to the use of recycled feedstock and, as a mono-material, has a clear recycling route. But a material is not compliant in itself. The tape must be technically suitable for the box, adhesive, weight, temperature and closure process, and the PPWR assesses the complete packaging unit rather than an isolated component. Phrases such as “PPWR-compliant tape” therefore say less than they appear to.

PVC is sensitive, but not prohibited

PVC contains chlorine and is therefore a sensitive issue in sustainability policies and among procurement teams. At present, the PPWR does not impose a requirement on this point. If you want to move away from it, do so for a reason you can explain: adhesion to recycled board, brittleness below 10 to 15 °C, consumption, or simply your customer's procurement policy. Do not attribute the decision to the Regulation, because it does not require it.

• EUR-Lex — Regulation (EU) 2025/40 — including recital 13 on composite packaging. Opens in a new window.
• Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) — EU packaging requirements (PPWR) — Dutch government information. Opens in a new window.
• Verpact — All about the PPWR — timeline and implementation for the Netherlands. Opens in a new window.

Content reviewed on 20 August 2026 against the sources above.

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