Search Legislation

The Packaging (Essential Requirements) Regulations 2015

 Help about what version

What Version

 Help about advanced features

Advanced Features

Changes over time for: Section 3

 Help about opening options

Changes to legislation:

There are currently no known outstanding effects for the The Packaging (Essential Requirements) Regulations 2015, Section 3. Help about Changes to Legislation

Close

Changes to Legislation

Revised legislation carried on this site may not be fully up to date. At the current time any known changes or effects made by subsequent legislation have been applied to the text of the legislation you are viewing by the editorial team. Please see ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ for details regarding the timescales for which new effects are identified and recorded on this site.

PackagingU.K.

This section has no associated Explanatory Memorandum

3.—(1) These Regulations apply to any packaging.

(2) In these Regulations “packaging” means all products made of any materials of any nature to be used for the containment, protection, handling, delivery and presentation of goods, from raw materials to processed goods, from the producer to the user or the consumer, including non-returnable items used for the same purposes, but only where the products are—

(a)sales packaging or primary packaging, that is to say packaging conceived so as to constitute a sales unit to the final user or consumer at the point of purchase;

(b)grouped packaging or secondary packaging, that is to say packaging conceived so as to constitute at the point of purchase a grouping of a certain number of sales units whether the latter is sold as such to the final user or consumer or whether it serves only as a means to replenish the shelves at the point of sale, and which can be removed from the product without affecting its characteristics; or

(c)transport packaging or tertiary packaging, that is to say packaging conceived so as to facilitate handling and transport of a number of sales units or grouped packagings in order to prevent physical handling and transport damage; for the purposes of these Regulations transport packaging does not include road, rail, ship and air containers.

(3) The following items must also be considered to be packaging on the basis of the criteria set out below—

(a)items that fulfil the above definition without prejudice to other functions which the packaging might also perform, unless the item is an integral part of a product and it is necessary to contain, support or preserve that product throughout its lifetime and all elements are intended to be used, consumed or disposed of together.

(b)items designed and intended to be filled at the point of sale and disposable items sold, filled or designed and intended to be filled at the point of sale provided they fulfil a packaging function.

(c)packaging components and ancillary elements integrated into packaging, and ancillary elements hung directly on, or attached to, a product and which perform a packaging function, unless they are an integral part of that product and all elements are intended to be consumed or disposed of together.

(4) Schedule 5 to these Regulations lists the illustrative examples of packaging [F1referred to in paragraph (3) and set out in Annex 1 of the Directive as amended by Commission Directive 2013/2/EU amending Annex I to Directive 94/62/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on packaging and packaging waste](1).

(5) Nothing in these Regulations with regard to packaging affects the application of existing quality requirements for packaging, including those regarding safety, the protection of health and hygiene of the packed products, existing transport requirements, or the [F2provisions of the Hazardous Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2005(2) in England and Wales, the Hazardous Waste Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005(3) in Northern Ireland, the Hazardous Waste (Wales) Regulations 2005(4) in Wales, and the Special Waste Regulations 1996(5) in Scotland] [F2provisions of the Hazardous Waste Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005] (4).

Back to top

Options/Help

Print Options

Close

Legislation is available in different versions:

Latest Available (revised):The latest available updated version of the legislation incorporating changes made by subsequent legislation and applied by our editorial team. Changes we have not yet applied to the text, can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area.

Original (As Enacted or Made): The original version of the legislation as it stood when it was enacted or made. No changes have been applied to the text.

Close

See additional information alongside the content

Geographical Extent: Indicates the geographical area that this provision applies to. For further information see ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

Show Timeline of Changes: See how this legislation has or could change over time. Turning this feature on will show extra navigation options to go to these specific points in time. Return to the latest available version by using the controls above in the What Version box.

Close

Opening Options

Different options to open legislation in order to view more content on screen at once

Close

Explanatory Memorandum

Explanatory Memorandum sets out a brief statement of the purpose of a Statutory Instrument and provides information about its policy objective and policy implications. They aim to make the Statutory Instrument accessible to readers who are not legally qualified and accompany any Statutory Instrument or Draft Statutory Instrument laid before Parliament from June 2004 onwards.

Close

More Resources

Access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item from this tab. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:

  • the original print PDF of the as enacted version that was used for the print copy
  • lists of changes made by and/or affecting this legislation item
  • confers power and blanket amendment details
  • all formats of all associated documents
  • correction slips
  • links to related legislation and further information resources
Close

Timeline of Changes

This timeline shows the different points in time where a change occurred. The dates will coincide with the earliest date on which the change (e.g an insertion, a repeal or a substitution) that was applied came into force. The first date in the timeline will usually be the earliest date when the provision came into force. In some cases the first date is 01/02/1991 (or for Northern Ireland legislation 01/01/2006). This date is our basedate. No versions before this date are available. For further information see the Editorial Practice Guide and Glossary under Help.

Close

More Resources

Use this menu to access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:

  • the original print PDF of the as made version that was used for the print copy
  • correction slips

Click 'View More' or select 'More Resources' tab for additional information including:

  • lists of changes made by and/or affecting this legislation item
  • confers power and blanket amendment details
  • all formats of all associated documents
  • links to related legislation and further information resources