Plastic Cups in Europe 2026: EPR, PPWR, and What's Legal

Plastic cups are everywhere in European food production, from yogurt tubs on supermarket shelves to coffee capsules in office kitchens. But with the EU’s single-use plastics legislation now firmly in force, many producers and procurement managers are asking the same question: are plastic cups still allowed in Europe in 2026? The short answer is yes, but with important nuances that every packaging manufacturer needs to understand. This article breaks down exactly what the regulations cover, which products remain fully compliant, and how the industry is adapting.

What the EU single-use plastics directive actually covers

The EU Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUPD), adopted in 2019 and phased into national law across member states from 2021 onward, targets a specific list of plastic items that are most frequently found in marine litter and coastal waste. The directive does not ban all plastic packaging. Instead, it focuses on products for which affordable alternatives already exist and that are most likely to be discarded carelessly after a single use.

The items explicitly prohibited under the directive include plastic plates, cutlery, straws, stirrers, cotton bud sticks, and expanded polystyrene food and beverage containers. Importantly, the directive also introduced extended producer responsibility schemes, mandatory labeling on certain products, and consumption reduction targets for items like beverage cups. Understanding the scope of these measures is essential for anyone involved in thermoformed plastic packaging production, because the directive is frequently misread as a blanket ban on plastic cups, which it is not.

The 10 product categories targeted by the single-use plastics directive product list

The SUPD does not apply a single uniform measure across all product categories. Each category is subject to a specific type of regulatory obligation — and knowing which measure applies to your product is the most important compliance question you can ask. The table below maps each of the ten targeted categories to its corresponding measure type.

Cotton bud sticks — Full market ban
Cutlery, plates, straws, stirrers, and balloon sticks — Full market ban
Expanded polystyrene (EPS) food containers and beverage cups — Full market ban
Oxo-degradable plastic products (all categories) — Full market ban
Beverage cups (non-EPS) — Consumption reduction target + EPR obligation
Food containers for immediate consumption (non-EPS) — Consumption reduction target + EPR obligation
Lightweight plastic carrier bags — Consumption reduction target
Wet wipes — Labeling requirement
Tobacco products with plastic filters — EPR obligation + labeling requirement
Fishing gear containing plastic — EPR obligation

Products made entirely from oxo-degradable plastics are prohibited from the EU market regardless of product type — this includes materials sometimes marketed as a sustainable alternative. If your product does not appear on this list, it is not subject to SUPD prohibition measures, though it may still fall under EPR, PPWR, or labeling obligations discussed further below.

Which plastic cups remain fully legal in Europe

The majority of thermoformed plastic cups used in food and dairy packaging remain fully legal under current European law. Rigid cups made from materials such as PP (polypropylene), rPET (recycled PET), and PET that are designed for food products like yogurt, margarine, fresh produce, or ready meals are not subject to the prohibition measures of the SUPD. These are multi-use or functional single-use containers that fall outside the directive’s restricted product list.

Beverage cups, particularly those used for cold drinks at vending machines or takeaway counters, face different treatment. Member states are required to set national consumption reduction targets for these, and some countries have introduced deposit systems or levies. However, this is a consumption-reduction measure, not a production ban. Thermoformed cups for sealed food products, such as dairy packaging, continue to be produced and sold legally across all EU member states in 2026.

Compliance requirements producers must meet in 2026

For packaging manufacturers operating in Europe, plastic packaging compliance in 2026 goes beyond simply avoiding banned product categories. Several regulatory frameworks now overlap, and staying compliant requires attention to all of them simultaneously.

Extended producer responsibility

Under the SUPD, producers of certain plastic packaging must register with national EPR (extended producer responsibility) schemes and contribute financially to waste collection and cleanup costs. Requirements vary by country, but most EU member states now have operational EPR systems in place. Producers selling into multiple markets need to track obligations in each jurisdiction separately.

The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation

Running alongside the SUPD, the revised EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) introduces recycled content targets and recyclability requirements for all packaging placed on the EU market. By 2030, plastic packaging must meet minimum recycled content thresholds, and all packaging must be recyclable by design. For thermoformed packaging producers, this means material selection and machine capability are now compliance factors, not just commercial ones.

Labeling and traceability

Certain plastic products covered by the SUPD must carry standardized labels informing consumers about correct disposal. Producers must also be able to demonstrate compliance with material and design requirements, which increasingly demands documentation and traceability throughout the supply chain.

How sustainable materials are reshaping thermoformed packaging

Regulatory pressure is accelerating a shift that was already underway in the thermoforming industry. Producers are moving toward materials that meet both compliance requirements and growing retailer and consumer expectations around sustainability.

Recycled PET (rPET) has become one of the most widely adopted materials in food-grade thermoformed packaging. It satisfies the incoming recycled content requirements under the PPWR and is already accepted by major retailers as a credible sustainability credential. Processing rPET on thermoforming machines requires precise temperature control and consistent material handling, but modern high-performance machines are well suited to the task.

Biodegradable materials, particularly PLA (polylactic acid) derived from plant starch, are gaining traction in specific applications where composting infrastructure exists. While PLA is not a universal solution, it opens new market segments for producers willing to invest in machinery capable of handling its different processing characteristics. The ability to work with a broad range of foil types, including both conventional plastics and bio-based alternatives, is becoming a genuine competitive differentiator in the European market.

The biodegradable compliance trap: what packaging producers need to know about biodegradable plastic packaging EU compliance

Switching to biodegradable or compostable materials does not automatically bring a product into regulatory compliance, and this misconception carries real legal and commercial risk. In EU law, the term biodegradable has no fixed legal definition for packaging purposes — it does not exempt a product from SUPD obligations or from plastic levy requirements. Only materials certified as industrially compostable under EN 13432 receive special treatment in certain national implementations of the directive. Some member states, notably Italy, have granted exemptions to certified compostable packaging, but these exemptions remain contested at EU level and may not be permanent.

Producers switching to PLA or other bio-based materials should verify EN 13432 certification status directly with their material supplier before making any compliance claims to customers or retailers. There is an additional layer of risk here: making unverified environmental claims about packaging materials also carries legal exposure under the EU Green Claims Directive, which is advancing through the legislative process and will impose stricter substantiation requirements on environmental marketing. The safest approach is to treat material certification and compliance documentation as non-negotiable steps in any material transition, not afterthoughts.

The direction of travel is clear: thermoformed packaging will remain a core part of European food packaging for the foreseeable future, but the materials and processes behind it are evolving quickly. Producers who invest now in flexible, high-efficiency machinery are positioning themselves to meet both today’s compliance requirements and tomorrow’s material demands.

What tighter regulations mean for packaging investment decisions

The regulatory changes already in force in 2026 are not the endpoint — they are a staging post. Packaging producers evaluating machinery investments today need to look beyond current compliance requirements and consider the regulatory environment they will be operating in by the end of the decade.

PPWR 2030 milestones and recycled content thresholds

By 2030, the PPWR requires that all plastic packaging placed on the EU market must be recyclable by design, and minimum recycled content thresholds will apply across packaging categories. Alongside this, EU member states must achieve a 90% separate collection rate for plastic bottles. Producers who have not yet adapted their material mix and machinery to accommodate higher recycled content inputs will face significant compliance costs at short notice. The time to build that capability into production infrastructure is now, not when enforcement deadlines arrive.

Retailer-driven pressure ahead of legislation

Major European retailers — including Aldi, Lidl, and Tesco — are already requiring suppliers to meet recycled-content and recyclability standards that go beyond current legal minimums. Non-compliant packaging risks delisting independent of regulatory enforcement. For packaging producers, this means the commercial pressure to upgrade often arrives before the legal obligation does, compressing the effective timeline for investment decisions.

The policy trajectory beyond 2030

European environmental organizations are actively advocating for minimum recycled-content targets of 50% for bottles and 30% for other plastic articles, as well as 90% separate collection across all plastic packaging categories. These are not yet law, but they reflect the direction in which EU packaging legislation is moving. Producers and their technology partners who understand this trajectory are better placed to make investment decisions that remain sound across multiple regulatory cycles.

For packaging producers evaluating machinery investments today, the question is not only whether current production meets 2026 requirements — it is whether the equipment chosen now will still be the right choice in 2030.

How GABLER Thermoform supports packaging compliance and sustainability goals

We understand that navigating regulatory change while maintaining production efficiency is one of the most pressing challenges facing packaging manufacturers today. Our thermoforming machines are designed to give producers the flexibility and performance they need to stay ahead of both compliance requirements and market demands.

Material flexibility: Our machines are engineered to process a wide range of materials, including rPET and biodegradable PLA foil, giving producers the capability to adapt their material mix as regulations evolve.
Energy efficiency: We are actively developing next-generation thermoforming technology, supported by the European Union, that consumes up to 30 per cent less energy in cup production, directly addressing the sustainability expectations of retailers and regulators alike.
High output, lower cost per unit: Our high-end machines deliver up to 20 per cent higher output than comparable systems, helping producers maintain profitability even as material costs rise due to recycled content requirements.
Industry 4.0 readiness: State-of-the-art sensor technology and remote access capabilities support the traceability and documentation demands that compliance frameworks increasingly require.
Full-service support: From installation through to spare parts supply, we provide a complete support package so that compliance-driven upgrades or new line investments run smoothly from day one.

If you are reviewing your production setup in light of the latest EU packaging regulations, we are ready to help you find the right solution. Contact our team to discuss how our thermoforming technology can support your compliance and sustainability goals.

Are plastic cups still allowed in Europe in 2026?