PPWR consultancy services in the Wielkopolska Voivodeship: packaging in retail, manufacturing and export companies

The Wielkopolska Voivodeship is a region where packaging often fulfils several roles at once: it protects the product, facilitates storage, aids in retail display, enables export, meets the requirements of retail chains and serves as a source of environmental data. PPWR’s consultancy services in the Wielkopolska Voivodeship should therefore address the practical question: is the company able to manage packaging in wholesale, production, logistics, exports, e-commerce, trade fairs, commercial samples and BDO documentation?

The PPWR, or Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, is an EU regulation concerning packaging and packaging waste. Regulation (EU) 2025/40 entered into force on 11 February 2025 and, in principle, is to apply from 12 August 2026.

For businesses in Poznań, Kalisz, Konin, Piła, Ostrów Wielkopolski, Gniezno, Leszno, Września, Swarzędz, Kościan, Rawicz or Jarocin, preparing for the PPWR should not simply involve adding a single procedure to their documentation. What is needed is an analysis of the flow of packaging between the product, the warehouse, the retailer, the supplier, the transport operator and the waste stream.

The PPWR’s perspective on Greater Poland: packaging as a tool for sales, distribution and export

Wielkopolska is one of the most economically developed regions in Poland, with a high level of industrialisation and a concentration of businesses and foreign capital. The Marshal’s Office of the Wielkopolska Voivodeship points out that the region ranks highly in many economic indicators and is characterised by a significant degree of industrialisation.

This is significant for PPWR because the more developed the supply chain, the greater the number of places where packaging appears.

Wielkopolska is not just a manufacturing region. It is also a region of sales, distribution, trade fairs, B2B trade, exports and order fulfilment across multiple channels. PAIH points out that the province is known, amongst other things, for its automotive, business services and logistics sectors, and that the Poznań International Fair plays a significant role in the region’s economic activity.

In such an environment, packaging may take the form of:

• retail product packaging,
• master carton,
• display packaging,
• transport packaging,
• pallet,
• stretch film,
• logistics label,
• commercial sample packaging,
• promotional set packaging,
• export packaging,
• to secure a piece of furniture or a component,
• packaging made from raw materials,
• waste following receipt of the delivery.

At this company in Greater Poland, packaging is often part of the commercial process, rather than merely the final stage of production.

Therefore, a PPWR analysis must cover both what the company sells and how the product moves through the warehouse, wholesale, trade fairs, transport, e-commerce and delivery to business partners.

Why does Wielkopolska require a different approach to other regions?

Wielkopolska should not be treated as a general market for local services. The region combines agriculture, food processing, the furniture industry, the automotive sector, logistics, trade and trade fair facilities. The region’s official website lists the agri-food, automotive, furniture and electrical industries, amongst others, as its main sectors.

This gives rise to the specific risks associated with PPWRs.

A manufacturing company may have issues with packaging for raw materials. A wholesaler — with master cartons, pallets and plastic film. A furniture manufacturer — with transport protection. E-commerce businesses may face issues with shipping boxes. Companies exhibiting at trade fairs may face issues with packaging for samples, display materials and promotional kits.

A company based in Greater Poland often sells the same product in several different ways: at retail, wholesale, through sales representatives, via online marketplaces, at trade fairs, to retail chains and abroad.

With PPWR, each sales model may correspond to a different set of packaging options.

Challenges faced by businesses in relation to the PPWR

The PPWR replaces the existing directive on packaging and packaging waste and introduces more uniform rules for the European Union market. For businesses in the Wielkopolska Voivodeship, the greatest challenge may not be the mere fact of having packaging, but rather the number of packaging options and the number of people involved in making decisions about packaging.

Challenge 1: one product, many packaging variants

The same product may be packaged differently for retail outlets, differently for retail chains, differently for export, differently for online delivery, and yet differently as a promotional sample or trade fair display.

Example: A food manufacturer based near Poznań sells its product in individual packs, packs it in bulk for wholesalers, prepares display stands for retail chains, sends samples to business partners and creates limited-edition sets for trade fairs. If the documentation covers only standard individual packaging, it does not reflect the full picture.

At PPWR, the packaging option is just as important as the product itself.

Challenge 2: display and trade fair packaging

Poznań’s trade fair infrastructure means that many companies in the region produce samples, demonstration kits, promotional materials, displays, presentation packaging and small batches designed for B2B meetings. MTP Poznań Expo organises, amongst other things, trade events for industry, logistics and business cooperation, bringing together the ITM Industry Europe, Subcontracting and Modernlog sectors.

Such packaging is sometimes regarded as a marketing tool rather than environmental data.

That is incorrect. Displays, sample sets, presentation boxes, trade fair labels, protective film and transport packaging for exhibition materials may also need to be included in the analysis.

Challenge 3: furniture, timber and transport protection

Wielkopolska has strong links with the furniture sector. The international Meble Polska trade fair in Poznań is positioned as one of the key European trade events for the furniture industry.

In furniture and joinery firms, packaging often does not follow a single, standardised format. A chair is packed differently from a furniture front, a worktop, a flat-pack kit or an item being sent abroad.

Furniture packaging may be designed to withstand damage, rather than simply for record-keeping purposes.

Preparations for PPWR should therefore include plastic film, cardboard boxes, corner protectors, dividers, foam padding, pallets, tape, instructions, bags containing assembly parts and bulk packaging.

Challenge 4: food processing and packaging following on from raw materials

Wielkopolska is a region with a strong agricultural and food sector. PAIH points out that the region is also known for its agriculture, which meets European standards. For processing companies, the issue is not only the packaging of finished products, but also sacks, films, containers, cartons, and packaging for additives, labels, raw materials and auxiliary materials.

After deliveries, packaging is not sent to the customer, but may be sent to BDO.

If a company analyses only the end product, it overlooks the waste stream on the procurement and production sides.

Challenge 5: distribution centres and order fulfilment

Retail and logistics companies in Greater Poland often process orders for various sales channels. B2B order fulfilment, e-commerce dispatch, deliveries to shops, exports and palletising may all require different packaging materials.

In such a model, data on packaging cannot be collected just once a year.

A procedure is needed to clarify: who reports changes to the carton, who verifies the weight of the film, who updates the data following a change of logistics operator, and who is responsible for ensuring that the BDO data matches actual warehouse movements.

PPWR consultancy firm in the Wielkopolska Voivodeship: what should it check?

The PPWR consultancy firm in the Wielkopolska Voivodeship should analyse not only the regulations, but also the company’s commercial and distribution strategy. In this region, sales channels, B2B relationships, exports, trade fairs, wholesale, production and different packaging options are of great importance.

Eko-Pro describes the PPWR audit as a comprehensive assessment of a company’s readiness to meet the requirements of the regulation, including, amongst other things, an assessment of packaging in terms of its design, composition, recyclability and compliance with environmental and legal requirements. (ecopro-group.co.uk)

The audit should separate the sales channels

The first task is not to count all the boxes. First, you need to work out how the company sells its products.

Packaging for wholesalers is different. Packaging for end customers is different. Packaging for export is different. Packaging for trade fairs is different. Packaging for an online shop is different. Packaging for a retail chain with its own requirements is different.

The sales channel map serves as the starting point for the packaging map.

Without this, the company may have accurate data for one channel but gaps in the others.

The audit should cover warehousing and sales, not just administration

Environmental documentation is often drawn up in the office, but packaging is handled in the warehouse, at the order-picking station, in the sales department and at dispatch. The audit should therefore cover:

• packaging stations,
• finished goods warehouse,
• order fulfilment centre,
• sample preparation,
• packaging for trade fairs,
• palletising,
• phrases,
• waste from deliveries,
• BDO and KPO documents.

The PPWR audit should reveal whether the documentation accurately reflects the actual flow of packaging.

The audit should check who is altering the packaging

At a company in Greater Poland, the decision on packaging may be taken by a buyer, a sales representative, the marketing department, a process engineer, a warehouse manager, a logistics operator or a contractor. If any of these people can change the packaging, but nobody updates the environmental data, the company is at risk.

There should be a procedure in place for changing the packaging, even if it is a quick, commercial process.

PPWR consultancy in the Wielkopolska Voivodeship and the specific characteristics of local businesses

Wielkopolska should be analysed through the prism of entrepreneurship, sales, distribution, production and expansion. This sets it apart from regions where the dominant sectors are heavy industry, tourism, mineral resources or engineering production.

Poznań: trade fairs, trade, channel management and documentation

An environmental audit in Poznań should be particularly useful for companies that sell through multiple channels and produce products for business customers. In Poznań, trade samples, promotional kits, display packaging and the logistics of trade events may be of particular significance.

If a company exhibits a product at trade fairs, sends out samples and carries out regular sales, it should check whether packaging details are available for each of these processes.

Kalisz, Ostrów Wielkopolski and Pleszew: B2B manufacturing, technology and packaging

In manufacturing and engineering companies, packaging for components, spare parts, auxiliary materials, pallets, cartons, containers and transport protection are important. There is a risk in overlooking what is generated on the supply side.

Konin, Września and Gniezno: logistics, industry and inter-regional deliveries

In companies handling larger volumes of goods, bulk, transport and pallet packaging are particularly important. It is worth checking whether changes to warehouse and transport operations are being recorded in the environmental documentation.

Leszno, Rawicz and Kościan: agri-food, processing and packaging of raw materials

In food and agri-processing companies, the audit should cover not only finished products, but also packaging from deliveries of raw materials, additives, auxiliary materials, labels and film.

Swarzędz and the surrounding area: furniture, fittings and protective packaging

Custom packaging is essential in the furniture industry. Plastic film, foam, corner protectors, dividers, cardboard boxes and pallets may vary depending on the product, the customer and the delivery method.

Six situations in which a company from Greater Poland should check its PPWR

1. The company sells through several channels

If the same product is supplied to a wholesaler, a shop, an e-commerce platform, for export and for trade fairs, each packaging variant must be checked.

2. The company prepares samples and trade fair displays

Demonstration materials, displays and small promotional runs can also form part of packaging data.

3. The furniture manufacturer is changing its transport safety measures

New plastic film, foam, corner protectors, pallets or cardboard boxes should be included in the update to the environmental data.

4. A food processing plant receives raw materials in a variety of packaging

Bags, cartons, containers, films and labels on the supply side should be included in the analysis.

5. The warehouse uses packaging other than that described in the documents

If the picking practice differs from the procedure, the audit should identify what needs to be improved.

6. The contractor requires information about the packaging

A major buyer, a retail chain or an overseas customer may enquire about weight, material, recyclability or environmental compliance. The company should have this information ready in advance.

Eko-Pro: based in the Lubuskie Voivodeship, serving businesses in Greater Poland and throughout Poland

Eko-Pro is an experienced consultancy firm based in the Lubuskie Voivodeship. The firm’s location does not limit the scope of its operations. Eko-Pro provides services throughout Poland, travelling to clients and carrying out audits directly at their premises.

For a company based in the Wielkopolska Voivodeship, this means access to specialist consultancy services regardless of its location. Distance is no barrier to the provision of these services.

For companies in the retail, manufacturing, food, furniture, logistics and export sectors, it is particularly important for the consultant to see the processes in action on site: the warehouse, order picking, packing, sample preparation, post-delivery waste, BDO documentation and the way data is shared between departments.

Eko-Pro’s nationwide experience allows for a comparison of practices across different sectors and regions. For an entrepreneur from Greater Poland, this means support that is not limited to a local perspective, but takes into account solutions used by companies with similar sales, production and distribution models.

Companies in the region can make use of services such as PPWR audit, environmental audit, comprehensive environmental consultancy and environmental outsourcing.

Environmental audit in Poznań: how to assess packaging in a multi-channel business?

An environmental audit in Poznań should be particularly practical. It is not merely a matter of checking documents, but of comparing them with the actual flow of packaging in sales, warehousing, order fulfilment, logistics, exports and commercial operations.

What should a pre-PPWR audit cover?

Here are some companies in the Wielkopolska Voivodeship worth checking out:

• unit, bulk and transport packaging,
• packaging for various sales channels,
• display and trade fair packaging,
• samples, displays and promotional packs,
• packaging for raw materials and components,
• pallets, cling film, labels, dividers and cardboard boxes,
• protection of furniture and bulky items,
• export packaging,
• data on weights and materials,
• data sources from suppliers,
• BDO, KPO and waste records,
• procedures for changing packaging,
• responsibility for purchasing, warehousing, sales, marketing, logistics and administration.

The audit should answer the question: does the company understand the differences between product packaging and sales channel packaging?

The audit should take commercial activities into account

For companies in Greater Poland, trade fairs, product samples, B2B meetings and contract sales can play an important role. In such cases, promotional and display packaging should not be overlooked.

Something produced „just for the trade fair” can still be considered packaging.

If a company produces small batches of promotional materials, it should be aware of whether and how these are included in its environmental data.

Environmental outsourcing in the Wielkopolska Voivodeship: when is ongoing support better than a one-off audit?

Outsourcing environmental management in the Wielkopolska Voivodeship is worth considering if a company has multiple sales channels, regularly changes its packaging, works with large customers, carries out an environmental audit (BDO), or does not have its own environmental specialist.

When does outsourcing make the most sense?

It is worth considering a long-term service contract if the company:

• sells wholesale and retail,
• runs an e-commerce business,
• exports products,
• prepares promotional or trade fair kits,
• manufactures food, furniture or components,
• uses many different types of transport packaging,
• is led by BDO,
• generates packaging waste,
• works with a number of suppliers,
• frequently changes sales channels,
• I need replies for B2B business partners.

Outsourcing is not just about meeting deadlines and filling in forms. With PPWR, it can serve as a permanent system for monitoring changes to packaging.

A permanent adviser helps to keep things in order following an audit

An audit identifies gaps. Outsourcing helps to ensure that these gaps do not re-emerge following a change in product, supplier, business partner, sales channel or logistics operator.

A permanent adviser can assist a company with:

• updating packaging data,
• BDO staff,
• analysis of trade fair and promotional packaging,
• verification of documents from suppliers,
• in replies to questions from business partners,
• preparing reports,
• inspection of waste records,
• implementing simple internal procedures.

The Wielkopolska PPWR checklist for trading, manufacturing and export companies

Does every sales channel have a product description?

Find out about wholesale, retail, online, export, trade fair and contract sales.

Are trade samples included in the data?

Samples, displays, promotional kits and display packaging can also have an environmental impact.

Does the warehouse use packaging that complies with the documentation?

Compare the actual cartons, cling film, labels, pallets and packing materials with what is specified in the procedures.

Do the delivery packaging materials end up at BDO?

Check the waste generated from raw materials, components, auxiliary materials and bulk packaging supplied by suppliers.

Does a change of supplier affect the way goods are packaged?

If so, the company should have a procedure in place for updating environmental data.

Does the company have data ready for B2B clients?

If a customer enquires about the weight, material or recyclability of the packaging, the answer should not require data to be gathered at short notice.

Frequently asked questions

Does the PPWR apply to companies in the Wielkopolska Voivodeship?

Yes, if a company markets products in packaging, uses transport packaging, engages in wholesale, retail or online sales, exports goods, generates packaging waste or operates a BDO. The PPWR may apply to manufacturers, wholesalers, online shops and companies that prepare products for B2B clients alike.

Can an environmental audit in Poznań cover trade fair activities and samples?

Yes. If a company produces samples, displays, promotional kits, display packaging or sales materials, the audit may check whether these items are recorded in the relevant environmental records and documentation.

Does Eko-Pro serve businesses in Greater Poland despite being based in the Lubusz Voivodeship?

Yes. Eko-Pro is based in the Lubuskie Voivodeship, but provides services throughout Poland. The team travels to clients’ premises, carries out audits at company sites and analyses processes directly on site.

Does the PPWR apply to packaging for furniture and bulky goods?

Yes, if the packaging is used to protect, transport, sell or deliver the product. In the furniture industry, plastic film, cardboard boxes, corner protectors, foam, dividers, pallets and export packaging are particularly important.

When is it worth opting for environmental outsourcing?

Outsourcing is a good option if a company carries out BDO, generates waste, has multiple sales channels, frequently changes its packaging, handles exports, or does not have its own environmental specialist. Ongoing support helps to maintain compliance following an audit.

Does the PPWR consultancy firm in the Wielkopolska Voivodeship have to have an office in Poznań?

No. What matters more are experience, the ability to carry out audits at clients’ premises, knowledge of environmental obligations, and the ability to put the PPWR into practice within a company. Eko-Pro operates nationwide, which is why it can serve businesses in Greater Poland despite being based in Zielona Góra.

Please contact Eko-Pro

If you run a business in the Wielkopolska Voivodeship and wish to check whether your commercial, trade fair, transport and export packaging, waste, BDO and environmental documentation are ready for the PPWR, please contact Eko-Pro. Our team can carry out an audit at your company’s premises, review the actual flow of packaging and recommend measures tailored to your sales model.

Eko-Pro serves clients throughout Poland. Distance is no obstacle — our advisers visit companies, analyse processes on site and support business owners with PPWR audits, environmental protection, BDO and environmental outsourcing.

Visit the website Contact Eko-Pro and check whether your company has control over packaging across all sales channels before PPWR becomes a commercial, logistical or contractual issue.