Day 1: From Policy to Practice — PPWR Year 1, CEA and EPRWednesday, 7 April 2027

• Speculative futures framing the packaging landscape from 2030–2040

• Where will we be? How will regulatory compliance transmute from reactionary to “ahead” or actioned with “foresight”

• Assess the long-term trends shaping packaging design, consumer expectations and circular business models.

• Explore how regulation, technology and supply chain transformation are converging around common sustainability objectives.

• Identify the capabilities organisations need today to remain competitive through 2030 and beyond.

What’s operational, what’s pending, what’s next

• Understand where implementation is accelerating and where clarification is still emerging.

• Examine practical lessons from early adopters preparing portfolios for forthcoming recyclability and recycled-content requirements.

• Identify priority actions brands should take before the next wave of delegated and implementing acts.

• Examine how the Circular Economy Act could strengthen markets for secondary materials and circular investment.

• Explore implications beyond packaging, including textiles, electronics and wider producer responsibility systems.

• Understand what organisations should monitor as the legislation develops.

• Learn how leading businesses are translating regulatory requirements into operational programmes.

• Understand common implementation hurdles and how organisations are overcoming them.

• Explore approaches that improve readiness without creating unnecessary complexity.

• Circular Economy Act: From law to logistics and “Made in Europe” competitiveness

• Explore how brands, converters and recyclers are supporting resilient European supply chains.

• Assess investment priorities required to build recycling, collection and reprocessing capacity.

• Identify opportunities for collaboration that strengthen competitiveness while supporting circular economy objectives.

• Clarify responsibilities for producers, manufacturers, authorised representatives and fillers.

• Understand emerging best practices for managing documentation efficiently.

• Learn how robust data structures can support future compliance requirements.

• Live Poll and Results from the ProCarton 2027 consumer study latest findings from the 2027 ProCarton study.

• Compare consumer perceptions against industry assumptions.

• Explore how consumer expectations may influence future packaging decisions.

• Examine key implementation questions raised by brands and manufacturers.

• Provide insight into developing guidance and implementation priorities.

• Improve understanding of practical compliance expectations.

• Share implementation experiences from brands, packaging manufacturers and recyclers.

• Discuss unexpected challenges encountered 6 months on.

• Highlight practical approaches colleagues across the industry can learn from.

• EPR and PRO performance: Moving beyond compliance to deliver better outcomes and manage growing costs.

• Packaging design and regulatory convergence: Reducing fragmentation as recyclability requirements develop across markets.

• Viable recycled-material markets: Supporting recycled-content ambitions with functioning economics and resilient supply.

• Examine collection and recycling performance trends.

• Identify opportunities to improve material retention and recycled-content availability.

• Explore how packaging design and infrastructure can work together more effectively.

• Understand how EPR is evolving across sectors.

• Identify common implementation lessons and data challenges.

• Explore what greater policy harmonisation could look like.

Flash talks from re-use sector leaders and emerging service providers, changing hearts and minds on re-use. Format: 5 × 5‑minute flash talks + 5‑minute audience vote. Moderated by Re‑use Alliance. Competitive element: audience decides winner; prize = 2 complimentary tickets to PWS 2028

• Unit economics: “Demonstrate how your model reaches cost parity with single‑use at ≤30% return rate and ≤5 rotations.”

• Impact threshold: “Prove net GHG and water benefits vs single‑use at national scale by 2030 in your lead market — what are the critical enablers?”

• Policy‑proofing: “If minimum rotations are set at X and washing standards Y, how do you stay compliant and profitable?”

• Infrastructure fit: “Show how you integrate with city collection and retail logistics without adding a new truck mile.”

• Data and claims: “How will you verify rotations and hygiene to an auditor’s standard and enable brand‑level reporting?”