There are 3 major differences. First, legal status: a regulation applies directly in all 27 Member States without transposition, ending divergent national regimes. Next, scope: the 1994 Directive mainly set aggregate recycling targets, while the PPWR operates at product level (recyclability of each item of packaging, PCR content by category and banned formats). Finally, the tools: the PPWR introduces reuse targets, format bans (Annex V), an empty space ratio capped at 50%, harmonised labelling and PFAS thresholds for food packaging, which Directive 94/62/EC did not provide for.
Read the source article: PPWR packaging regulation: EU 2025/40 changes in 2026