Hortgro and COLEAD Collaborate on EU Packaging Regulations requirements

New rules on EU market packaging will take effect from 12 August 2026 and will gradually roll out through to 2040

By Nitasha Baijnath-Pillay

As part of the EU-funded AGRINFO programme, COLEAD recently engaged with Hortgro and key South African fruit industry stakeholders to assess readiness and research initiatives ahead of the implementation of the EU’s strict Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulations (EU PPWR).

Facilitated by Hortgro, the multi-day engagement focused on how upcoming environmental requirements will affect South African agricultural exports to the European Union and explored local efforts to identify viable alternatives to plastic packaging. Find additional resources at the bottom of this blog, and in addition, read more here https://www.hortgro.co.za/news/new-rules-on-eu-market-packaging/

Field Visits and Technical Alignment

The visit kicked off on June 1, 2026, with Axelle Rupert, EU Policy and Regulations Expert at COLEAD, meeting with Hortgro’s leadership—specifically Nitasha Baijnath-Pillay (Resource Management and Sustainability Manager) and Dr Mariana Jooste (Post-Harvest Research Manager) — and several pome and stone fruit exporters/packhouses. Together, they evaluated the pome and stone fruit sectors’ current technical readiness and clarity needed on specific matters relating to the 12 August deadline for technical documents and the Declaration of Conformity to accompany any packaging sent to the EU. Annexures VII & VIII detail these requirements, and you may access them at Regulation – EU – 2025/40 – EN – PPWR – EUR-Lex.

To bridge the gap between policy and practical application, Rupert toured the Two-a-Day packhouse in Grabouw to review standard commercial pre-packs and bulk packaging methods. This visit was hosted by Tru-Cape Marketing.

Local Innovation on design for recycling and the Road to a 2028 Alignment

On June 2, the focus shifted to South Africa’s broader recycling ecosystem. Rupert visited a Cape Town recycling plant and met with the African Circular Economy Network (ACEN) and Oliver Bonstein, General Manager of the South African Plastics Recycling Organisation (SAPRO).

The discussions highlighted the South African Design for Recycling initiative—a free digital tool helping local brands optimise packaging for the domestic recycling sector. The critical next milestone will be aligning this local framework with the European Union’s official Design for Recycling specifications, which are slated for release in 2028.

Key Strategic Engagements

The technical tour concluded with high-level collaborative sessions involving:

• Fruit SA members.
• GreenCape is the implementing body behind the South African Plastics Pact.
• A joint webinar presentation (3 June) by Ms Rupert and Ms Baijnath-Pillay, organised by the EU-SADC EPA Support Programme under the Department of Agriculture, will directly engage the European Commission on the upcoming trade realities. You may contact Hortgro for the link to this recording.

Through these proactive industry engagements, Hortgro continues to position South African Pome and Stone fruit exporters to navigate shifting international trade regulations seamlessly.

Please find the PPWR roadmap below. The information in red indicates where we, as an industry, must comply with EU regulations. The information in blue indicates where the EU still has to provide us (the industry) with further information.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Additional Resources on chemicals and recycled plastic from Axelle Rupert’s presentations to industry:

Chemicals (bisphenol A (BPA), per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)) in food packaging:

• Webinar on BPA and PFAS (link to slides, recording and questions and answers document)
• Guidance document on BPA
• Guidance document on PFAS

EU rules on recycled plastic in food packaging:

• Plastic food contact materials: basic rules and good manufacturing practice
• EU rules on recycled plastic used in food packaging: updates and clarifications
• EU’s recycled plastic packaging strategy – explained