As of August 12, 2026, when capsules, pods, and sachets for tea, coffee, and other beverages become packaging according to Regulation 2025/40, they will have to be labeled following the regulations currently in place. There are, at the moment, no specific rules, so the decision-making pathway leading to material coding and labeling is the same as for any other packaging destined for the final consumer in Italy (domestic circuit).
Packaging intended for the final consumer, must mandatorily display the identification coding of the packaging material according to Decision 129/97/EC and the collection information. Other information regarding the type of packaging and indications to consumers to support them in quality separate collection, remain voluntarily applicable.
Gli imballaggi destinati al B2B, ad esempio gli imballaggi destinati ai professionisti, o gli imballaggi da trasporto o legati alle attività logistiche o di esposizione, possono non presentare le informazioni relative al conferimento in raccolta degli imballaggi, ma devono obbligatoriamente riportare la codifica dei materiali di composizione in conformità alla Decisione 129/97/CE. All other information remains, however, voluntarily applicable.
L’etichettatura ambientale va prevista per tutte le componenti separabili manualmente¹ del sistema di imballo.
Packaging systems involving a main body and other ancillary components that are not manually separable¹, must mandatorily display the material identification coding of the main body, and the indications on collection (which follow the main body material). Whenever possible, only the material identification coding as per Decision 129/97/EC may also be affixed to the non-manually separable components¹, but, on these, the indication on collection should not be reported.
If, on the other hand, the packaging system includes manually separable components¹ from the main body, each of these must necessarily bear alphanumeric coding as per Decision 129/97/EC and collection information.
Environmental labels of the different manually¹ separable components that make up the sales unit should be affixed to each component. Where this is not possible, they may be affixed either to the main body of the packaging, or to another label or any other component that makes the information easily visible to the end consumer .
The environmental labeling currently in use in Italy will then be replaced by the harmonized European labeling (currently under development) based on pictograms, according to the timetable set by the European PPWR regulation.
¹A component is considered to be manually separable if the user can separate it completely, and without risk to his or her health and safety, from the main body using only his or her hands and without the need for additional tools and instruments.
Last modified on 29/10/2026