There’s AI help on the way to demystify the PPWR

Although the new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) was published in the official journal of the EU in January, with its provisions largely applicable from August next year, there is still much understandable confusion about what the new regulations mean and how they will be applied in practice.

To alleviate this, the EU Commission itself has announced its intention to publish a guideline document on the main new provisions imminently – including a set of key FAQs. As soon as this has happened, further clarification will follow from Cepi, which is planning an online Q&A session for members such as Sappi. We will then be in a position to share insights from this with interested customers and partners.

For those who still retain doubts after the Commission FAQs are published, Sappi is also putting in place extra assistance in the form of a new AI chatbot.

The PPWR Guru chatbot has been developed by our Sappi Europe customer experience team to assist users in navigating the complexities of the PPWR. Built on advanced GenAI technology and with input from in-house Sappi experts, the tool significantly reduces the time users need to spend searching for information in lengthy documents such as those published by the EU Commission.

And there’s more. Over the coming months, the chatbot will undergo additional enhancements to allow users to interrogate the complexities of other legislation, such as the European Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).