Large household appliances will have to be transported almost entirely using reuseable packaging by 2030, according to the European Commission’s proposed packaging waste law, a move widely questioned by players in the supply chain.

The EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), tabled in November last year, aims to slash unnecessary boxes and wrappings while promoting recycling as well as reuse.

The proposal, which is currently being examined by the European Parliament and EU member states before eventual adoption, has caused anxiety in the retail and logistics sector, which is still in the process of analysing the implications of the Commission’s proposed reuse targets.

But the white goods sector is confronted with headaches of their own.

Under the Commission’s proposal, 90% of packaging used for large household appliances must be “made available in reusable transport packaging” by 2030 when they are placed on the EU market for the first time.

The mandate is contained in Article 26.1 of the draft regulation, which lays down re-use targets for packaging used in the transport of “large household appliances” such as refrigerators, washing machines, tumble dryers, electric fans or air conditioners.

Whether that objective makes sense is open for debate, though.

The provision “is a significant source of concern for our sector”, said Paolo Falcioni, director general of APPLiA, a trade association representing the home appliance industry in Europe.

According to APPLiA, packaging for large household appliances must be functional and protective, to ensure the product is not damaged physically or by humidity during its journey from the manufacturer to the retailer and eventually to the consumer.

Packaging typically used for this purpose include pallets, plastic straps, carboard boxes, and pallet wrappings, some of which “cannot be reused due to technical constraints”, APPLiA said.

“For example, pallet wrapping may become damaged or contaminated with materials that cannot be adequately cleaned, rendering them unusable for future shipments. In other cases, reuse may be possible, but the cost and complexity of returning the packaging to the manufacturer can make it impractical,”