Deep dive into packaging categories: find out the category of your packaging item
Last updated: September 4, 2026
Under PPWR, every packaging item you add in Coolset needs to be assigned a packaging category. This determines which obligations apply and how the item is assessed. You identify the packaging category as part of the packaging assessment survey.
If you are not sure which category fits a piece of packaging, work through the questions below in order. As soon as you land on a "yes," that is your packaging category.
Work through these questions in order
1. Is it the unit a customer picks up and buys with the product inside it?
If the packaging is what the end consumer directly interacts with at the point of sale, and the product and packaging together form the thing being bought, this is sales packaging.
Examples: a box of cereal, a bottle of shampoo, a jar of sauce.
2. Is it filled at a counter or kiosk with drinks or ready-to-eat food, for the customer to take away and eat immediately?
If so, this is service (takeaway) packaging. This is packaging filled at attended points of sale, for products that are packaged for transportation and immediate consumption elsewhere, without any further preparation needed.
Examples: cups, boxes, or containers handed over at a café or food counter.
3. Does it contain unprocessed agricultural or food products, straight from the farm, sea, or land?
If the product hasn't been manufactured, refined, or significantly altered yet, this is primary production packaging.
Examples: crates of fresh fruit, sacks of grain, raw fish packaging, bulk vegetables.
4. Does it group several individual sales units together?
If the packaging bundles multiple sales units (whether sold to consumers as a multipack or used to move stock on shelves) and can be removed without changing the product itself, this is grouped packaging.
Examples: shrink-wrap around six cans, a cardboard sleeve around a multipack.
5. Is it used to ship products sold online or by mail order directly to the end customer?
If so, this is e-commerce packaging: a specific category of transport packaging used for online and distance sales.
Examples: the cardboard box or mailer bag that arrives at someone's door after an online order.
6. Is it used to protect and move goods during shipping or distribution?
If none of the above apply and the packaging exists to protect and move one or more sales units during transport, this is transport packaging.
Examples: shipping pallets, bubble wrap. This excludes road, rail, ship, and air containers.
Quick reference
Category | What it covers | Examples |
|---|---|---|
Sales packaging (Art. 3(1)(5)) | Constitutes a sales unit to the end user. Applies to both B2C and B2B. | Glass jar, PET bottle, blister pack, pouch |
Service packaging (Art. 3(1)(d)+(3)) | Filled at the point of sale. A new, explicit category under PPWR. Subject to specific re-use targets under Art. 11. | Paper coffee cup, take-away container, carrier bag filled at checkout |
Primary production packaging (Art. 3(1)(4)) | Designed and intended for unprocessed products from primary production. | Crates of fresh fruit, sacks of grain, raw fish packaging |
Grouped packaging (Art. 3(1)(6)) | Groups multiple sales units at the point of sale; can be removed without affecting the product. | Cardboard multipack, display tray, shrink wrap around bottles |
E-commerce packaging (Art. 3(1)(8)) | A sub-category of transport packaging used specifically for online or distance sales deliveries. Subject to empty-space ratio rules under Art. 24. | Mailer boxes, padded envelopes, shipping cartons with void fill |
Transport packaging (Art. 3(1)(7)) | Facilitates handling and transport. Excludes containers (road, rail, sea, air). | Pallets, corrugated shippers, pallet shrink wrap |
Frequently asked questions
What if my packaging could fit more than one category? Work through the questions in the order above and stop at the first "yes." The order reflects how the categories are meant to be applied. For example, packaging used for an online order is classified as e-commerce packaging even though it's also a form of transport packaging.
What if none of these seem to fit? Double-check against the examples for each category first. If you are still unsure, reach out to your Coolset contact with a description or photo of the packaging so we can help you classify it correctly.
Does the packaging category affect anything else in Coolset? Yes. The packaging category determines which parts of the PPWR packaging questionnaire apply to that item, so it's worth getting this right before you start filling the survey.