Packaging and label requirements fall into two groups. The first covers what the pack must say: identity of the responsible company, product information, warnings, language. The second covers the packaging itself: what it is made of, how it is recycled, and who pays through producer responsibility schemes. Both depend on your product and market, and both need checking before artwork is final. A reprint is one of the most avoidable costs in launching a brand.
This guide is general information checked against official sources in November 2026. Rules change, and we confirm the requirements for a real product with a licensed specialist in each project.
EU: packaging rules changed on 12 August 2026
The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (EU) 2025/40 entered into force on 11 February 2025 and has applied since 12 August 2026, largely replacing the 1994 directive. For a new brand, these points matter most:
- PFAS. Food-contact packaging at or above the limit values may not be placed on the market since 12 August 2026.
- Producer registers. Each Member State has a national register. You cannot place packaging on a market for the first time unless you or your authorised representative are registered there.
- Authorised representative. Required since August 2026 for selling packaged goods into other Member States. The Commission has proposed suspending this for small businesses, and has asked Member States to be pragmatic while the proposal is examined. Check the status when you launch.
- Sorting labels. Harmonised labels apply from 12 August 2028, or 24 months after the implementing acts enter into force, whichever is later.
- Recyclability. The aim is for all packaging on the market to be recyclable in an economically viable way by 2030. Design with this in mind now.
- Marketplaces. Once the new registers operate, a registration number must be given to the online platform before using its service.
Producers under 10 tonnes of packaging per year can benefit from some simplifications set by Member States and producer responsibility organisations.
EU: what the product label must show
Consumer products need traceability and contact details under the General Product Safety Regulation. Beyond that, the rules follow the product:
| Product | Main label requirements | Source rule |
|---|---|---|
| Food | Mandatory particulars, allergens emphasised, nutrition declaration, EU operator or importer | Regulation 1169/2011 |
| Cosmetics | Responsible person, ingredients and more; individual labelling of further fragrance allergens for new products since 31 July 2026 | Regulation 1223/2009 and 2023/1545 |
| Textiles | Fibre composition in decreasing order, using the listed names | Regulation 1007/2011 |
| Toys, electrical goods | CE marking, identification and warnings under sector rules | Directive 2009/48/EC, LVD and others |
| Hazardous mixtures | CLP hazard label and UFI | Regulation 1272/2008, Annex VIII |
UK: separate packaging responsibility
Under UK packaging extended producer responsibility, you are generally obligated if you supplied or imported more than 25 tonnes of packaging in the previous year and had worldwide turnover of £1 million or more. Above £2 million and 50 tonnes, you are a large producer with greater duties. Small producers register, report data each year and keep records for seven years. Where another company packs or imports goods in your branded packaging, the brand owner can be the obligated producer.
On labels, Great Britain has its own rules. Cosmetics must name a UK Responsible Person, and food labels must follow GOV.UK rules. Northern Ireland differs. See our UK page.
US: label law by agency, with state packaging rules on top
US label rules come through several agencies. FDA covers food, supplements and cosmetics, including the nine major food allergens. The FTC covers textile labels, care instructions, and origin claims: an unqualified Made in USA claim must meet the all or virtually all standard. Children’s products need tracking labels. Products with button cells have special warnings, under 16 CFR 1263. Consider also that some states run their own packaging and chemical rules, which we check per project. See the US page.
Other main markets
| Market | Language | Worth noting |
|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | Arabic on prepackaged food, or a translation; set data for cosmetics | Food to GSO 9:2022, cosmetics to GSO 1943, original certificate of origin |
| Mexico | Spanish | Most retail goods follow NOM standards. Food has front-of-pack seals under NOM-051 |
| Brazil | Portuguese | Toys need a conformity seal on label or pack, supplements a set designation and warnings |
| India | As the rules specify | Importer, MRP and origin under Legal Metrology rules; FSSAI logo and licence on imported foods; plastic EPR via CPCB |
| Japan | Japanese | Food labelling must be in Japanese; cosmetics list all ingredients; Containers and Packaging Recycling Law for importers of packed goods |
| Kazakhstan | Kazakh and Russian | EAC mark where required; TR CU 005/2011 on packaging safety |
| Uzbekistan | Uzbek for listed goods | General duty abolished in 2024, but certificates for certain goods require it. Label must be attached at the factory |
The pre-print checklist
- List every market for this print run. A pack for many countries needs more space than you expect.
- Confirm the responsible company and address per market.
- Get a specialist to approve mandatory text, warnings, symbols and languages.
- Check claims one by one, including green claims and any logo implying a certification.
- Confirm that the pack is compatible with the product, and tested in transit.
- Add batch, barcode and expiry fields, and agree where they get printed.
- Record materials and weights per pack, since EPR registers will ask for them.
- Choose a design that allows for changes, such as a separate country sticker where the law allows it.
Think about print run size. Bulk artwork can go out of date quickly when rules change, so avoid buying years of packaging for one low minimum price. See identity and packaging and compliance for how we run this, and the category pages for details by product.
Sources
- European Commission: Packaging waste
- European Commission: EPR for packaging, small businesses
- Commission guidance on Regulation 2025/40
- European Commission: Fragrance allergens labelling
- Your Europe: Textile label
- GOV.UK: Check if you must comply with EPR for packaging
- FTC: Complying with the Made in USA standard
- trade.gov: Saudi Arabia labeling requirements
- trade.gov: Kazakhstan labeling requirements
- trade.gov: Uzbekistan labeling requirements
- MHLW: Imported food safety