PPWR without panic: what the 50% empty-space limit means in practice

From 2030, e-commerce packaging may contain at most 50% air — and filler counts as air. What that means operationally and what you should already be measuring now.

The facts, soberly

The EU packaging regulation PPWR (Regulation (EU) 2025/40) limits the empty-space ratio of e-commerce, grouped and transport packaging to a maximum of 50% (Art. 24). The empty-space ratio is the relationship between the total volume of the packaging and the volume of the products it contains.

Two dates matter: from 12 August 2026, the minimization principle applies — packaging must be reduced to the necessary minimum. From 1 January 2030, the hard 50% empty-space limit applies.

The catch many overlook: filler counts as empty space. Air cushions, paper shreds, foam, polystyrene chips — anything that fills the void is counted as air. You cannot “pad away” the ratio.

Why this is harder than it sounds

If filler does not help, only one real lever remains: the right carton size. Right-sizing instead of padding out. What used to be a purely cost-related question thus becomes a compliance question — the same optimization, two reasons.

What you should already be measuring now

Most warehouses do not know their empty-space ratio — it appears on no invoice. But the minimization principle already applies in 2026, not only in 2030. The first step is therefore not a conversion but a measurement: how much air is in your cartons per shipment today? Without that figure, you can neither plan nor provide evidence.

The link to material and freight

It is the same lever as for packaging costs: less empty space means less material, less freight volume and a better PPWR ratio. The PPWR turns a voluntary cost optimization into a mandatory one — anyone who already packs tightly will have no stress in 2030.

How xl0g helps (data, not law)

xl0g calculates the suitable packaging for each order and supplies the volume and empty-space data together with reports — the data basis for your PPWR ratios, traceable and not estimated. The legal assessment of your compliance remains a matter for your legal/data protection officer or lawyer; xl0g supplies the figures, not the legal opinion.

The first step

Have your carton inventory calculated against a month of real orders — you get the exact empty-space ratio and see where you need to tighten up for 2026/2030.

xl0g — Logistics without gaps. Knowledge over guesswork.