PPWR for Load Carriers:
Schneider Provides Clarity and Safety

The EU Packaging Regulation has been in effect since August 12, 2026—and we're ready for it.

The new EU Packaging Regulation (PPWR) (Regulation (EU) 2025/40) has been directly applicable in all EU member states since August 12, 2026. It applies not only to traditional retail packaging: Many transport and load-carrying containers also fall within its scope as transport or tertiary packaging.

These include, in particular:

• Mesh boxes
• Mesh container
• Sheet steel container
• Flat steel pallets
• Stanchion frames
• SchneiderBox
• Special-Purpose and Universal Load Carriers

For companies, this results in new requirements regarding compliance, technical documentation, materials used, recyclability, and reusability—in each case in accordance with the regulations and transition periods applicable to the specific type of packaging.

Schneider Transport- und Lagerbehälter GmbH & Co. KG has established the necessary processes for this.

As a manufacturer, distributor, and reusable packaging partner, we consider not only our own products but also our supply chain and the reuse of load carriers.

Our Current PPWR Status

We are gradually implementing the PPWR requirements across our product portfolio.

Our goal: to provide you with the necessary product-related information and documentation in the simplest and most transparent way possible.

1. What is the PPWR?

The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) is the new European regulation on packaging and packaging waste.

Regulation (EU) 2025/40 entered into force on February 11, 2025, and has been directly applicable as of August 12, 2026.

Unlike an EU directive, an EU regulation does not first need to be transposed into national law. The PPWR therefore establishes a largely uniform legal framework for packaging within the European Union.

The Main Goals

• Reducing Packaging Waste
• Promote Reuse
• Improve recyclability
• Strengthening the Circular Economy
• Use resources more efficiently
• Establish more uniform requirements in the EU single market

When it comes to shipping packaging, reusability is particularly important.

2. What does the PPWR mean for load carriers?

Load carriers may be considered packaging under the PPWR. The relevant requirements apply to the transport and tertiary packaging covered by the regulation.

For manufacturers, this means, among other things:

• Evaluate the conformity of the packaging type
• Create and maintain technical documentation
• Take applicable material requirements into account
• Take recyclability requirements into account
• Consider Reusability Requirements
• Prepare an EU Declaration of Conformity, as required by the PPWR
• Implement future labeling requirements in accordance with their effective dates

Important to note:

Not all PPWR requirements have been in effect simultaneously since August 12, 2026.

Different application and transition periods apply to different requirements.

3. Schneider Transport- und Lagerbehälter GmbH & Co. KG as a manufacturer: Responsibility for our own products

For the charge carriers we manufacture ourselves, we assume manufacturer responsibility for compliance with the applicable PPWR requirements.

These include, among others, our:

• Mesh container
• Sheet steel container
• Flat steel pallets
• Stanchion frames
• SchneiderBox
• customer-specific special load carriers

For each product type, we conduct the necessary conformity assessment and prepare and maintain the corresponding technical documentation.

Once compliance with the applicable requirements has been demonstrated, the corresponding EU Declaration of Conformity is issued in accordance with the PPWR.

Example: SchneiderBox

This also applies to our reusable SchneiderBox , the PPWR conformity assessment is documented on a product-by-product basis.

In this context, we focus in particular on:

• Design and Use of Materials
• Reusability
• Repairability
• Recyclability
• Technical Specifications
• Quality Assurance in Mass Production

This is how we combine the regulatory requirements of the PPWR with what our load carriers have always been designed for: a long service life and repeated use in industrial logistics cycles.

4. Schneider Transport- und Lagerbehälter GmbH & Co. KG as a distributor: We also take our supply chain into account

We do not manufacture every load carrier in our product line ourselves.

For products we purchase, we fulfill our role as a retailer and comply with the applicable inspection and due diligence obligations.

In addition, we have established our own process for PPWR-related supplier certifications.

We request product-related information and the necessary proof of compliance from our suppliers and review this information as part of our internal processes.

In doing so, we take into account the requirements that are actually applicable at the time the product is placed on the market.

Your Benefit

When you purchase a load carrier from Schneider Transport- und Lagerbehälter GmbH & Co. KG, you don't have to start from scratch.

We are already working with our suppliers to gather the necessary information and documentation, and we can provide you with answers to any specific questions you may have about a particular product.

5. EPAL mesh box: Declaration of Conformity already available

For the EPAL mesh box , an EU Declaration of Conformity in accordance with Art. 39 PPWR of the European Pallet Association e.V. (EPAL) is already available.

Among other things, it describes conformity assessment, reusability, recyclability, and the technical specifications relevant to EPAL mesh boxes.

For customers who purchase EPAL mesh boxes from Schneider, we can provide the relevant product-specific documentation.

Do you need the PPWR Declaration of Conformity for your EPAL mesh boxes? Please contact us.

6. Reusable items are becoming more important—we’ve been doing this for a long time

One of the key principles of the PPWR is the transition from single-use to effective reusable systems.

That is exactly what many of our load carriers are already designed for today.

Steel mesh boxes, mesh containers, stanchion racks, and other reusable load carriers can be used, inspected, repaired, and reused over many cycles.

This extends the service life and reduces the need for new load carriers.

Repair Instead of Replace

A damaged cargo container does not automatically have to become waste.

Depending on the type of load carrier, our services include, among other things:

• Exam
• Repair
• Repair
• Renovation
• Reallocation

In this way, we support sustainable product cycles and the goals of the PPWR.

7. Our Rental System: Reusable Instead of Tying Up Capital

In addition to sales and repairs, we also offer load carriers through our rental program.

Our rental and pooling approach is designed to facilitate the repeated use and return of load carriers.

Depending on the agreed-upon system, we handle the following, among other things:

• Deployment
• Withdrawal
• Exam
• Repair and Maintenance
• re-deployment

In this way, our rental model promotes the reuse of shipping containers and helps companies keep cargo carriers in circulation more effectively.

For you, this means:

Use reusable containers without having to build up a complete fleet of load carriers yourself.

8. What other PPWR requirements are coming?

August 12, 2026, is not the end of the PPWR, but rather the beginning of a series of phased requirements.

Additional requirements will take effect in the coming years or will be specified in supplementary legislation.

These include, in particular, requirements in the following areas:

• Labeling
• Recyclability
• Recyclability Categories
• Use of Recycled Materials in Certain Types of Plastic Packaging
• Reuse Targets for Certain Shipping Containers
• Additional technical and methodological guidelines from the European Commission

For companies, this means:

PPWR compliance is not a one-time project.

Products, technical documentation, and supply chain processes will continue to need to be adapted to new or more specific requirements in the future.

That is exactly why we are continuously monitoring further developments.

9. What about existing load carriers?

The PPWR contains differentiated transitional provisions for packaging already on the market, and in particular for existing reusable packaging.

Whether and which requirements apply to an existing inventory may depend, among other things, on the following:

• when the load carrier was first placed on the market,
• what type of packaging it is,
• whether it is reusable packaging,
• which specific PPWR requirement is being considered.

It is therefore not appropriate to make a blanket statement about all inventory levels.

Are you unsure how to classify your inventory? We'd be happy to help you analyze it by product.

10. What Purchasing and Logistics Managers Should Clarify Now

The most important questions are very practical:

Is there an EU Declaration of Conformity for my load carriers?

For Schneider products that we manufacture ourselves, we prepare the necessary documentation on a product-by-product basis. For purchased goods, we incorporate the required supplier documentation into our processes.

Do I have to document every single load carrier?

Conformity assessment and the EU Declaration of Conformity generally refer to the specific type of packaging or the relevant design—not to the requirement to issue a separate declaration for each identical individual item.

Are existing load carriers automatically no longer permitted?

No. For existing packaging or packaging already placed on the market, the applicable transitional provisions must be observed. An individual classification may be required.

Do I have to meet the 2030 reuse targets as early as today?

The relevant reuse requirements take effect in accordance with the timelines and conditions specified in the PPWR. Nevertheless, companies should address their transport packaging and reusable processes at an early stage.

What are the benefits of a rental system for me?

It allows you to use reusable load carriers without having to organize all the processes for procurement, return, inspection, and maintenance yourself.

11. PPWR at Schneider Transport- und Lagerbehälter GmbH & Co. KG: Three Areas of Expertise from a Single Source

Manufacturer

We evaluate our own load carriers on a product-by-product basis and prepare the necessary technical documentation and EU Declaration of Conformity.

Retailer

We comply with statutory distributor obligations and incorporate the necessary product and supplier documentation into our processes.

Reusable Partners

With durable, repairable load carriers, as well as rental and return solutions, we support effective reusable circulation systems.

This means that with Schneider Transport- und Lagerbehälter GmbH & Co. KG, you’re not just getting a load carrier—you’re getting a partner for its entire lifecycle.

12. Do you have questions about the PPWR?

You'd like to know,

• Does your load carrier fall under the PPWR?
• What documentation is available for a specific product?
• How should existing inventory be classified?
• Whether buying or renting makes more sense for your specific situation?
• Which reusable solution is right for your logistics process?

Please contact us.

We'll work with you to examine the specific load carrier and show you which solutions and documentation are available for it.

If you have any questions about PPWR, you can currently reach us at ppwr@schneider-logistics.de.
The points of contact for internal processes are Leon Kuntscher and Timo Heimann.

Schneider Transport- und Lagerbehälter GmbH & Co. KG

Buy, rent, repair, and reuse load carriers.

PPWR Prepared – Implemented in a Practical Manner.