Under the EU packaging regulation (PPWR), tea bags, soft coffee pods and sticky fruit labels must be compostable in industrial composting by 12 February 2028. Hard coffee capsules for machines have to be compostable only where a Member State requires it, and never if they are metal. Tea bags, pods and capsules have counted as packaging since 12 August 2026.
Why are tea bags and pods packaging now?
The old packaging directive listed tea bags and coffee pods that are thrown away with the used product as not packaging. The regulation changed the definition on 12 August 2026, so a permeable tea or coffee bag, a soft single-serve pad and a machine capsule are all packaging now. Fruit stickers were already packaging; the regulation names them and adds the compostability duty.
Which rule applies to each item?
| Item | Rule under the regulation |
|---|---|
| Paper tea bag | Industrially compostable by the 2028 deadline |
| Soft coffee pad for a pad machine | Industrially compostable by the 2028 deadline |
| Hard capsule for a machine, plastic or paper-based | Compostable only where the Member State requires it, otherwise recyclable |
| Aluminium or other metal capsule | Cannot be required to be compostable; must be recyclable |
| Sticky label on fruit or vegetables | Industrially compostable by the 2028 deadline |
| Foil pouch around a retail pack of coffee | Recyclable, like other packaging |
Machine use and permeability decide whether a pod is a bag or a capsule, according to the Commission’s FAQ. A Member State may also require home compostability for the items in the first group.
How is compostability shown?
The European standard EN 13432:2000 can be used as guidance, but it no longer creates a presumption that the item conforms. The Commission still has to request updated and new standards, including one for home composting, and none has been adopted. The harmonised labels apply from 12 August 2028 at the earliest. From then on these items must say that they are compostable, that they are not suitable for home composting and that they must not be thrown away in nature. The compostable packaging answer covers the wider rule for all packaging.
What can a tea or coffee brand do now?
Sort each format into bag or capsule and record the reasoning in the technical file. Test bags, pads and stickers against EN 13432:2000 as a guide. Check each Member State supplied for any rule requiring compostable capsules, and leave space on the artwork for the compostable label.
Where this comes from: Regulation (EU) 2025/40, Articles 3(1)(1)(f) and (g), 9 and 12(1), Annex I; Commission guidance, OJ C/2026/3084, sections 8 and 9; PPWR FAQ, 2nd edition, sections II.2 and VI.1.
More on this: EU PPWR guide · EU PPWR compliance
Reviewed by Team GreenSutra on 26 October 2026.