A dependable packaging partner for European Union brands.
01
Low MOQ to launch and test
Order the quantities your market can absorb first, then scale — across bottles, jars, tubes, droppers, pouches and cartons.
02
QC on every order
Pre-shipment inspection against your approved sample is included on every order, so quality issues are caught before goods leave the factory.
03
Compliant, market-ready materials
Materials screened for EU requirements, with certificates provided so your packaging claims stand up in your market.
04
One relationship, consolidated shipping
Source every format through one partner and receive a consolidated shipment with export documentation handled.
EU market: two deadlines have just passed, and both land on your pack.
PPWR has been in application since 12 August 2026. Regulation (EU) 2025/40 entered into force on 11 February 2025 and has applied across every Member State since 12 August 2026. For the first time, the packaging carries legal obligations of its own, separate from the cosmetic inside it — a Declaration of Conformity with supporting technical documentation, EPR registration in every Member State you sell into, restrictions on substances of concern including PFAS, and minimum recycled content in plastic packaging. Harmonised labelling phases in through 2028; recycling targets through 2030.
The PPWR clause that catches beauty brands is the one about empty space. Packaging must be minimised — no unnecessary material, no empty volume. That is precisely the trap in a premium thick-wall jar: a jar sold as 200 ml that holds barely half of it is exactly the shape the regulation is aimed at. We measure true internal capacity against nominal size before you commit to a mould, because that difference is now a compliance question as well as a cost question.
The fragrance allergen list grew from 26 to 82 substances on 31 July 2026. Under Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/1545, any of the 82 allergens present above 0.001% in a leave-on product or 0.01% in a rinse-off product must now be declared individually. New products placed on the EU market must already comply; products that were on the market before that date have until 31 July 2028. The consequence for packaging is blunt: a longer ingredient list needs more label. On a 15 ml serum that is a design decision, not a typesetting one — and it is far cheaper made before artwork is signed off than after a print run is paid for.
Materials and factories. We source materials compliant with EU plastics regulation (EU 10/2011) and REACH, and check your chosen format against PPWR recycled-content, recyclability and reusability requirements — including mono-material, PCR and refillable options. Partner factories operate to ISO 22716 / GMP standards with material certificates supplied for your records.
The label itself, under Regulation 1223/2009. Your Responsible Person's name and EU address, the INCI list in descending order, batch code, period-after-opening or best-before, nominal content and country of origin all have to fit on the pack. We size the label area against that list before the format is chosen, rather than discovering at artwork stage that the decoration you wanted has nowhere to go.
Shipping. Consolidated sea and air freight to major EU ports with export documentation handled, plus honest door-to-door lead times so your launch date is a plan rather than a hope.
One thing worth saying plainly. In every market we serve, the compliance burden that lands on the packaging is label real estate — not the container. PPWR is the first real exception to that rule, and even there the question we can answer for you is a physical one: does this format hold what it claims, and does the label have room for what your market requires. We are a packaging sourcing partner, not your regulatory adviser, and we will not pretend otherwise.
Every format, sourced for European Union.
Explore the categories below — all available at low MOQ with compliant materials and consolidated shipping to your market.
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Airless Bottles & Pumps
Serums, moisturisers, eye creams — 15–150 ml, PP/PETG, PCR options.
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💧
Dropper & Serum Bottles
Glass or PET, clear/amber/frosted — facial oils, serums, essences.
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🫙
Cream Jars & Pots
Acrylic, glass, PP, PCR — creams, masks, balms, body butters.
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🧪
Squeeze & Treatment Tubes
PE, laminate, mono-material — cleansers, treatments, hand cream.
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Glass Bottles & Flacons
Serum, toner, essence — clear, amber, frosted, decorated glass.
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Lip Packaging
Lipstick tubes, gloss wands, balm cases — colour cosmetics.
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Flexible & Pouches
Sheet-mask sachets, sample packets, stand-up & refill pouches.
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♻️
Eco & Sustainable
PCR, bamboo, refillable, mono-material — verified credentials.
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Paper & Cartons
Folding cartons, rigid boxes, paper tubes — FSC, hot-stamp.
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Fragrance Bottles
Glass flacons, atomisers, roll-ons — eau de parfum & cologne.
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Refillable Systems
Pod-insert airless, refill compacts — EU PPWR-ready.
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Gift Sets
Rigid boxes, EVA trays, coordinated multi-format sets.
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EU PPWR minimisation, Triman/CONAI coding & REACH-verified packaging systems.
| EU Compliance & Logistics Dimension | Statutory Requirement / Technical Threshold | How Vella Engineers Your Packaging |
|---|---|---|
| EU PPWR Void-Space & Minimisation | Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation prohibits deceptive double-wall false bottoms and excessive empty headspace ratio. | True internal brimful volume matched to nominal capacity + replaceable refill pod systems that reduce plastic weight by 68–78%. |
| EU 2023/1545 (82 Fragrance Allergens) | Expanded allergen list (from 26 to 82 substances, effective July 2026 for new launches) requires significantly larger INCI print panels. | Expanded multi-panel folding cartons, peel-back booklet labels, and full-wrap silkscreen layout checks on 15–30 ml formats. |
| French AGEC Triman & Italian CONAI | Mandatory sorting signage (Info-Tri) in France and alphanumeric material identification (GL 70, PP 5, PET 1, ALU 41, PAP 21) in Italy. | Complete bill-of-materials resin & glass composition breakdown supplied at artwork stage for accurate environmental marking. |
| EU Port Routing & Documentation | REACH SVHC (<0.1% w/w), 94/62/EC heavy metals (<100 ppm), GRS TC, and EU 10/2011 migration reports. | Air: 5–7 days · China-Europe Express Rail (Duisburg/Hamburg): 18–22 days · Sea (Rotterdam/Hamburg/Antwerp/Genoa): 28–34 days. |
Frequently asked
What does EU PPWR actually change about my packaging?
Since 12 August 2026 the packaging carries obligations of its own, separate from the cosmetic inside it: a Declaration of Conformity with technical documentation behind it, EPR registration in every Member State you sell into, restrictions on substances of concern including PFAS, and minimum recycled content in plastic packaging. The clause that catches beauty brands is packaging minimisation — no unnecessary material and no empty volume. A premium thick-wall jar sold as 200 ml that holds barely half of it is exactly the shape the rule is aimed at, which is why we measure true internal capacity against nominal size before a mould is committed.
Do I need to leave more label space for the new fragrance allergen list?
Almost certainly, if your formula is fragranced. Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/1545 expanded the mandatory allergen list from 26 to 82 substances, and each one present above 0.001% in a leave-on product or 0.01% in a rinse-off product must be declared individually. New products placed on the EU market have had to comply since 31 July 2026; products already on the market have until 31 July 2028. A longer ingredient list needs more label — on a 15 ml serum that is a format decision, not a typesetting one, and it is far cheaper made before artwork is signed off than after a print run is paid for.
Can I source cosmetic packaging from China for my European Union brand?
Yes. Vella manages the entire China side for European Union brands — vetting factories, running samples, inspecting quality and consolidating shipping to your market — so you get factory-direct pricing without the risk of managing overseas suppliers yourself.
Is the packaging compliant with EU requirements?
We source materials compliant with EU plastics regulation (EU 10/2011) and REACH, and check your format against EU PPWR recycled-content, recyclability and reusability targets — including mono-material and PCR options. Partner factories operate to ISO 22716 / GMP standards with certificates provided.
How long does shipping to European Union take?
Consolidated freight to major EU ports with export documentation handled, plus realistic lead-time guidance for your market. Exact timelines depend on format, whether tooling is custom, and freight mode — we give honest estimates up front.
What's the minimum order to start?
Low. We work with factories that accept small trial runs so you can launch without high minimums, then scale the formats that sell. Exact minimums depend on the format and customization.
Do you provide compliance certificates?
Yes — partner factories operate to ISO 22716 / GMP standards, and we provide relevant material and compliance certificates (food-contact grade, REACH, PCR/GRS as applicable) for your records and claims.
Sourcing packaging for a European Union beauty brand?
Tell us your formats, quantities and timeline. We come back within 24 hours with options, compliance notes and indicative pricing — shipped to European Union.