€550 per ton of plastic packaging. Suddenly, every gram matters.
A current German draft law proposes a new tax of €550 per ton of plastic used in packaging from July 2027. The direction is becoming increasingly clear: alongside the PPWR, using less material is becoming not only an environmental and regulatory target, but a direct economic factor.
A simple example:
10 million trays × 3 g less plastic = 30 tons less material per year.
Under the proposed tax, that could represent up to €16,500 less tax exposure alone – before considering resin costs, logistics or EPR fees.
This is exactly where precise thermoforming becomes important.
With watttron’s cera2heat matrix heating technology, heat can be applied locally and precisely to influence material distribution during forming. This can support lower starting gauges, more uniform wall thicknesses and the processing of increasingly demanding mono-material and recycled-content structures.
Less material. Better distribution. More process control.
The PPWR already makes packaging design a strategic topic. The proposed German plastic tax could make the business case even more tangible.
