PPWR. Mastered. Secured. Met. Proven. Passed.
Traceability, recycled content, and the empty space limit can all be mapped in the SAP S/4HANA standard. SAP Responsible Design and Production offers an additional control layer, but it’s license based. We build your PPWR compliance directly into the S/4HANA core, using your real master data and your existing EWM landscape.
What the PPWR requires from your IT landscape
Your system landscape needs to capture five data points seamlessly to pass an audit by market surveillance authorities. Four core SAP standard tools already provide the foundation, no extra license required.
The 5 core PPWR requirements
Your IT landscape needs to capture these five data points seamlessly to pass an audit by market surveillance authorities.
What the SAP standard already delivers
Four core tools in the S/4HANA standard already provide the foundation, no extra license required.
Where companies most often get stuck with PPWR
It’s usually not the software. It’s supplier data, the wrong data basis for reporting, and deadlines arriving faster than expected.
Data gaps with suppliers
Collecting declarations of conformity and recycling certificates usually takes months, not weeks.The underestimated time factor
Why data collection takes months, not weeksDeclarations of conformity and recycling certificates don’t come from your SAP system, they come from your suppliers. Getting them into your master data typically takes months, not weeks. Companies that start shortly before the August deadline don’t fail because of the software, they fail because of empty data fields.
Theoretical bill of materials instead of EWM reality
Reporting on ERP bills of materials alone misses the real empty space ratio at the packing table.What actually happens at the packing table
The gap between the bill of materials and realityIf you run SAP EWM, don’t build your PPWR reporting on theoretical ERP bills of materials. At the packing table, the packer will often reach for the bigger box when in doubt, quietly breaching the legal 50 percent empty space limit. Use EWM as a validated data source for your PPWR reports.
PFAS ban from August 2026
Urgent action needed on substitute materials for food packaging.Immediate action required
Substitute materials, approval, system blockingFrom August 2026, PFAS are banned in food packaging. That calls for an immediate, system controlled switch to safe substitute materials, including approval checks and proof of PFAS free status directly in the SAP material master, so banned packaging is blocked automatically. Companies that don’t switch now risk sales stops for affected products.
Your benefits at a glance
Four reasons why the SAP standard route pays off for you, instead of an extra license.
No extra license
Implementation directly in the S/4HANA standard, without SAP Responsible Design and Production
Real data instead of theory
Evidence from your real SAP EWM movement data, not theoretical bills of materials
Expertise from a single source
Food law and SAP architecture combined in the SAP Competence Center Food & Beverage
Legally sound evidence
Retained for 5 to 10 years, documented audit ready
Frequently asked questions about PPWR in SAP S/4HANA
Answers to the questions we hear most often in PPWR projects
Do we absolutely need SAP Responsible Design and Production for PPWR compliance?
No. RDP offers an additional control layer, but it’s license based. The SAP S/4HANA standard already covers material classification, batch handling, packing specifications, and reporting.
When does the PPWR become binding?
It has been in force since February 2025, and most provisions become binding from 12 August 2026.
How long do conformity documents need to be retained?
Five years for single use packaging, ten years for reusable packaging.
What does SAP EWM have to do with the PPWR empty space ratio?
The 50 percent limit can only be proven reliably based on actually packed handling units, not on theoretical bills of materials.
How long does implementation take?
The technical setup in SAP is usually the smaller part, collecting supplier data typically takes several months.
Let's talk about your goals
A short conversation, clear recommendations, and a way forward for your PPWR compliance.
Philipp Hildebrandt
Senior Business Development Manager & Enterprise Architect