Packaging · what PPWR testing costs
How much does PPWR packaging testing cost?
From 12 August 2026 every package on the EU market must meet the substance limits of the PPWR (EU) 2025/40 — heavy metals for all packaging, PFAS only for food contact. What a test costs is driven by the material, not the shape. Below: an indicative price, turnaround and minimum sample per packaging type.
What the PPWR requires — and what it does not
The Packaging Regulation (EU) 2025/40 applies from 12 August 2026 with no transition period. Article 5 sets substance limits: the sum of Pb + Cd + Hg + Cr(VI) must not exceed 100 mg/kg for ALL packaging, and PFAS limits (25 ppb single / 250 ppb sum / 50 ppm total fluorine) apply ONLY to food-contact packaging. Conformity is a manufacturer self-assessment (module A) — there is no notified body and no "PPWR certificate". A laboratory test is only one way to prove a limit; for much packaging supplier declarations are enough. So the first question is never "how much is the test" but "which test, if any, actually applies to my material".
Price by packaging type (material × food contact)
Test cost follows the material, not the format — a PET bottle, cup or tray cost the same to test; paper, composite or wood differ. Indicative LCAS benchmark per type (EUR net, accredited EU labs):
| Packaging type | Test scope | Price (EUR net) |
|---|---|---|
| Plastic / film — non-food | Heavy metals only | from €160 |
| Plastic / film — food contact | Heavy metals + migration + fluorine screening (+ PFAS if triggered) | €650–995 |
| Paper / board — non-food | Heavy metals (cellulose matrix) | from €180 |
| Paper / board — food contact | Heavy metals + migration + PFAS | ≈ €800 |
| Glass | Heavy metals | from €160 |
| Metal (aluminium / steel) — food contact | Heavy metals + migration | ≈ €400 |
| Wood (pallets, crates) | Heavy metals per element + SVHC/REACH | €160/el. + €300 |
| Composite / multilayer | As above + layer separation | +30–50% |
Non-food packaging (technical film, pallets, transport, cosmetics packaging) is NOT covered by the PFAS/fluorine limits — for it only heavy metals apply, and they are usually shown by a supplier declaration rather than a test. Multi-material packaging is priced per matrix: a wooden pallet with paint, nails and brackets is four separate metal determinations, not one.
Turnaround and minimum sample
Indicative working-day turnaround and minimum sample per test (accredited EU lab):
| Test | Turnaround | Min. sample |
|---|---|---|
| Heavy metals (ICP-MS) | 10–15 days | 0.5 m² or 20 units |
| Total-fluorine screening (EN 14582) | 10–15 days | 20–50 units |
| FCM migration (EN 1186 / 13130) | 15–20 days | 30–50 units or 1 m² |
| Targeted PFAS (EN 17681-1) | 15–25 days | 30–50 units |
| SVHC / REACH screening | 15–20 days | sample per component |
A bundled package runs to the longest test in it — typically 20–25 working days for a food-contact set. Send samples only once the scope is fixed, so you do not pay for tests you do not need. Turnaround falls when the accredited laboratory is geographically close.
What a full package costs
Bundled benchmark packages (EUR net, ~15% package discount vs. single tests):
| Package | Includes | Price |
|---|---|---|
| A — non-food packaging | Heavy metals | from €160 |
| B — food-contact standard | Metals + migration + fluorine + BPA + PAA | ≈ €650 |
| C — food-contact full | Package B + targeted PFAS | ≈ €995 |
These are LCAS benchmark ranges for accredited EU testing, not a quotation — sent to laboratories for verification of their own price. The actual figure depends on the number of materials and components, food-contact status, the number of markets, and how complete the supplier documentation already is.
The standards you test against
- +Regulation (EU) 2025/40 (PPWR) — Article 5 substance limits (heavy metals for all packaging; PFAS for food contact).
- +ICP-MS after mineralisation — sum of Pb + Cd + Hg + Cr(VI) ≤ 100 mg/kg.
- +EN 1186 / EN 13130 — overall and specific migration for food-contact materials (Regulation (EU) 10/2011).
- +EN 14582 — total fluorine screening (combustion ion chromatography) as the first PFAS step.
- +EN 17681-1 — targeted PFAS analysis by LC-MS/MS, required only where the fluorine screen is exceeded.
From price to compliance — the next step
These benchmark figures apply to any accredited EU laboratory — LCAS does not rank or recommend labs. Compare quotes on equal terms and use whichever lab you choose.
LCAS is built and operated by Multicert. If you would rather have it handled end to end — testing coordinated and the compliance document prepared — you can work with the team behind LCAS:
A test proves a limit; the Declaration of Conformity is the document your customer needs — two separate steps.
Across product types
What LCAS benchmarks elsewhere
PPWR packaging is priced by material and food-contact status below. LCAS also benchmarks other accredited product-testing packages — estimate any case in the calculator.
Questions people ask
PPWR packaging testing cost — quick answers
- How much does it cost to test packaging under the PPWR?
- It depends on the material and whether the packaging touches food. Non-food packaging needs only heavy metals — indicatively from €160. A food-contact set (metals + migration + fluorine screening) is around €650, rising to roughly €995 if targeted PFAS is triggered. Wood and multi-material packaging are priced per matrix.
- How long does the testing take?
- Heavy metals and fluorine screening are typically 10–15 working days; FCM migration 15–20 days; targeted PFAS 15–25 days. A bundled food-contact package runs to the longest test in it — around 20–25 working days.
- What is the minimum sample I need to send?
- For film, about 0.5–1 m²; for finished packaging, 20–50 units; for wood or multi-component packaging, a material sample of each component. Send samples only after the scope is fixed.
- Does my packaging even need a PFAS test?
- Only if it is food-contact packaging. Cosmetics packaging, technical and industrial film, transport packaging and pallets are NOT covered by the PFAS/fluorine limits — for them only heavy metals apply. Most PFAS enquiries come from packaging that does not actually need it.
- Does the test have to be from an accredited laboratory?
- In the self-assessment procedure (module A) a test is not a condition of conformity, and for non-food packaging accreditation is not required. ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation is required specifically for PFAS in food-contact packaging. Heavy metals are performed accredited anyway.
- Do I have to test at all?
- Not necessarily. The PPWR requires conformity and documentation, not tests. Many packages are shown compliant with supplier declarations; a test is used only where that documentation does not cover a requirement.