Supplement packaging for EU brands.

Packaging shapes shelf appeal, COGS, regulatory risk, and increasingly sustainability scoring. The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), in force from 2026, adds recyclability and recycled-content targets. Here's how to choose.

Format-by-format primer

• HDPE bottle (white or amber). The default for capsules and tablets. €0.30–€0.60 ex-works depending on size and PCR content. Recyclable in stream 2. PPWR-friendly with 30% PCR.
• Glass amber bottle. Premium look, heavier shipping, breakage risk. €0.80–€1.80. Good for liquid tinctures and premium oil capsules.
• Aluminium tin / canister. €1.20–€2.50. High perceived value, infinitely recyclable. Common for premium nootropics and minerals.
• Stand-up pouch (mono-PE or PP). €0.20–€0.45. Mono-material is now mandatory for recyclability under PPWR. Avoid PET/Al/PE laminates.
• Stick packs / sachets. €0.04–€0.08 each. Great for single-serve powders, electrolytes, collagen. Multi-laminate is still tolerated but flagged.
• Blisters (PVC/PVDC or PP/Alu). €0.06–€0.12 per blister. Doctor/pharmacy positioning. PVC is being phased down, go PP/Alu where possible.

What PPWR changes from 2026

• All packaging must be designed for recycling by 2030; non-recyclable formats face escalating EPR fees from 2026.
• Minimum recycled content targets for plastic packaging: 30% for PET contact-sensitive by 2030, 10% for other.
• Packaging minimisation: empty space ratio capped at 50% for grouped/transport packaging. Oversized supplement boxes will be flagged.
• Mandatory harmonised labelling for sorting (the new EU recycling icons) from mid-2028.
• Reuse targets for B2B transport packaging (does not affect consumer SKUs directly).

Child-resistant and tamper-evident

Most supplements aren't legally required to use child-resistant caps in the EU, with two exceptions worth knowing: products containing iron above 24 mg per dose, and any product classified as borderline medicinal in a member state. Tamper-evident (induction seal under the cap, shrink band, or sealed pouch) is universal good practice and demanded by major retailers.

Label artwork specs your printer expects

• CMYK colour mode, 300 DPI, vector logos. No RGB or screenshots.
• 3 mm bleed, 3 mm safe zone inside the trim.
• Fonts outlined or supplied as files.
• Minimum 1.2 mm x-height for mandatory FIC text (legal floor; 1.5 mm if pack < 80 cm²).
• Pantone references if you need exact brand colour match (charge €30–€80 per Pantone on press).
• Barcode (EAN-13) at minimum 80% magnification, white quiet zone preserved.