PPWR, REACH and PFAS: LATI at Compounding & Recycling Expo 2026 on the New Compliance Landscape for the Plastics Industry

Regulatory compliance, sustainability and industrial competitiveness are increasingly interconnected in the European plastics sector, according to LATI. The evolution of regulatory frameworks such as PPWR and REACH, together with the debate on PFAS and updates related to CLP, is changing not only compliance obligations, but also the way compounders, raw material producers, processors and end users must collaborate across the value chain.

These topics were at the centre of LATI Industria Termoplastici S.p.A.’s participation at the AMI Compounding & Recycling Expo 2026 in Frankfurt, where on 24 September Cristiano Citterio, Product Regulatory Affairs Manager at LATI, took part in the round table ‘Compounding under Compliance: PPWR, REACH and the New Regulatory Reality.’

The panel brought together regulatory, legal and industrial expertise to analyse the concrete consequences of legislative developments for the European compounding and masterbatch industry, addressing not only the formal aspects of compliance, but also the economic, commercial and operational implications of the new provisions.

The Evolving European Regulatory Framework

The EU regulatory framework is in fact becoming increasingly relevant from the earliest stages of material and formulation development. Raw material availability, additive selection, documentation management, the qualification of possible alternatives and the ability to transfer information along the supply chain are becoming ever more closely connected.

In this context, regulations and initiatives such as the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), REACH and CLP, together with the EU pathway concerning PFAS, require companies to maintain continuous monitoring and develop a growing ability to assess the impact of possible regulatory changes on materials, processes and applications.

The predictability of the regulatory framework is also becoming increasingly important, enabling companies to plan investments, qualifications and innovation pathways that often require several years to complete.

For compounders, this means dealing with a dual requirement: anticipating regulatory changes as far as possible while, in collaboration with all players, avoiding the introduction of additional supply-chain restrictions before the legislative framework has been formally defined. Compliance management therefore requires reliable technical data, traceability of information and constant dialogue between all the actors involved.

“It was a highly valuable opportunity to exchange views with senior industry leaders, consultants and value-chain partners on the practical implications of PPWR, REACH, PFAS, CLP and other emerging regulatory developments. One of the key takeaways from the discussion was that innovation and compliance alone will not be sufficient to address future regulatory challenges. Success will also depend on closer cooperation across the value chain, stronger engagement through industry associations and constructive dialogue between industry, regulators and policymakers,” commented Cristiano Citterio, Product Regulatory Affairs Manager at LATI.

Collaboration Across the Plastics Value Chain

One of the key aspects that emerged from the discussion was precisely the role of collaboration. Compliance cannot be considered solely the responsibility of the individual material producer: the availability and quality of information must be ensured through a consistent flow involving raw material suppliers, compounders, processors, OEMs and end users.

The discussion also highlighted the issue of international competitiveness and the need to ensure equivalent market conditions between European producers and non-EU operators accessing the European market. Industry associations also play a strategic role in this scenario, helping to collect technical evidence, consolidate experience across the value chain and foster constructive dialogue with institutions during the development and implementation phases of legislation.

For the compounding industry, this approach is particularly important when new restrictions may affect additives or technologies used to provide materials with specific functional properties. Identifying possible alternatives requires not only the availability of new substances or formulations, but also technical qualification, application validation and verification of long-term performance continuity.

LATI’s Participation at Compounding & Recycling Expo 2026

LATI’s participation at Compounding & Recycling Expo also provided an opportunity to exchange views with suppliers and industrial partners present in the exhibition area. These meetings made it possible to explore current critical issues, the availability of technologies and raw materials as well as potential shared development pathways.

In a context where sustainability, innovation and regulatory compliance are increasingly interdependent, dialogue across the entire value chain therefore becomes an essential tool for turning regulatory obligations into industrial processes that are technically sustainable and practically applicable.

For LATI, monitoring regulatory developments and collaborating with customers, suppliers, associations and institutions are an integral part of the technical support offered to the value chain, with the aim of supporting material selection and development also in light of current and future compliance requirements.

Read more news from LATI.

LATI
+44 (0) 1270 501713
Website
Email