EU PPWR

    Article 24 empty space ratio

    The PPWR limit on void space in grouped, transport and e-commerce packaging, measured as a proportion of the packaging volume.

    PPWR Article 24 caps the empty space ratio in grouped packaging, transport packaging and e-commerce packaging. The ratio is calculated from the volume of the packaging against the volume of the products it contains, and space filled by protective material still counts as empty space for the purpose of the calculation.

    The rule targets oversized shipping boxes, which are both a waste problem and a freight cost problem. Compliance generally means a wider range of box sizes, cartonisation logic in the warehouse system, or on-demand box making.

    The measurement is per shipment configuration rather than per SKU, so the evidence sits in fulfilment systems rather than packaging specifications. That is an unusual data source for a compliance team and is often the hardest part to operationalise.

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