PPWR Classifies Tea and Coffee Bags as Packaging for the First Time

According to the PPWR, the rationale for classifying these items as packaging is consumer disposal behavior. In practice, tea and coffee bags, as well as corresponding single-serve units, are disposed of together with the product residues, which could contaminate composting and recycling streams.

At the same time, Article 9 of the PPWR stipulates that certain types of this packaging must be compostable starting in February 2028. As a result, two provisions of the PPWR converge for the affected products: they are classified as packaging and must simultaneously meet the specified requirements for compostability.

From the perspective of the tea and coffee industry, the organic waste treatment for the affected products should be mandatorily stipulated in the Packaging Act (VerpackDG). During the parliamentary process, the disposal method was already amended from the original cabinet draft. While the original draft had provided for disposal via the yellow bin, the version adopted by the Bundestag on June 11—according to the Federal Ministry for the Environment—ensures that certain brewing aids, such as permeable tea and coffee bags, can continue to be disposed of via organic waste or residual waste, depending on local regulations.