How prices are changing
- TestlinerProducer prices, September
+11.6%
- ContainerboardProducer prices, September
+10.2%
- Fluting made from waste paperProducer prices, September
+9.0%
- Paper and paper productsProducer prices, September
+1.6%
- Plastics in primary formsImport prices, August
+17.2%
- Basic chemicalsProducer prices, September
+11.3%
- Producer prices, overallSeptember
+6.7%
In September 2026, base papers for corrugated board were 9.0 to 11.6% higher than in the same month a year earlier. Paper and paper products as a whole rose by only 1.6%. The containerboard index fluctuates strongly: in June 2025 it stood at 101.4 points, in February 2026 at 80.6 and in September 2026 at 98.6 (2021 = 100). For any increase, it therefore matters which reference month your supplier chooses.
Imported plastics in primary forms, the raw material for films and plastic packaging, cost 17.2% more in August 2026 than a year earlier. According to Destatis, imported energy and intermediate goods became much more expensive in the wake of the Iran war.
What makes up the price
A corrugated cardboard box is made of base papers: liner, such as testliner, and fluting. On top of this come adhesive, energy, processing, printing, wages and freight. For films and plastic packaging, the plastic determines the material share, plus energy, printing and converting. Labels cost materials, adhesive, printing and set-up time per order.
Check the price sheet for: the unit price by format and grade, volume tiers by call-off quantity, small-order surcharges, one-off costs for clichés and cutting dies, freight and any material surcharge linked to base paper or plastic.
Which index to use
For cardboard packaging, the Destatis producer prices for containerboard, testliner and fluting (statistic 61241). The industry association Die Papierindustrie publishes these series monthly and free of charge. For films, the import prices for plastics in primary forms (statistic 61411). For finished cardboard and plastic packaging, use the most detailed matching series of producer prices in GENESIS-Online, the Destatis database. The trade information service EUWID publishes waste paper prices only by subscription; a freely available reference is the producer price index for fluting made from waste paper. Link only the material share to the index.
What packaging law has required since August 2026
| Rule | Details | Status |
|---|---|---|
| EU Packaging Regulation (EU) 2025/40 | applicable since 12 August 2026 | in force |
| Verpackungsrecht-Durchführungsgesetz (VerpackDG, German Packaging Law Implementation Act) | in force since 12 August 2026, promulgated on 17 July 2026 | in force |
| Packaging not subject to mandatory system participation | Membership of a producer responsibility organisation or own authorisation; without authorisation under § 19, until 31 December 2027 at the latest (§ 68(9) VerpackDG) | temporary |
| Fines for breaching the requirements of the EU Regulation | from 12 February 2027 (§ 66(2) VerpackDG) | adopted |
| Single-use plastics levy per kilogram | Food containers €0.177, packets and wrappers €0.876, beverage cups €1.236 (§ 2 EWKFondsV) | in force |
The EU Packaging Regulation has applied since 12 August 2026, supplemented in Germany by the VerpackDG. Under § 3(6) VerpackDG, mandatory system participation applies to sales, outer and transport packaging that, after use, typically ends up as waste mainly in private households or at comparable points of generation, and to service packaging. For all other packaging, producers will in future need a producer responsibility organisation or their own authorisation. The European Commission’s goal is for all packaging on the EU market to be economically recyclable by 2030. If your packaging contracts run beyond 2027, agree now who will bear new costs.
Six points where packaging contracts cost money
- Material surcharge, upwards only. The containerboard index fell by 20.5% from June 2025 to February 2026 and rose again by 22.3% by September 2026. A surcharge without a formula passes on only the second movement. Agree the index, base month, material share and threshold, applying in both directions. Our price adjustment clause guide shows how.
- Specification beyond requirements. Grammage, flute type and paper grade determine how much material is used. Check for each item whether its weight, stacking height and transport route require this grade, and ask for a lighter alternative.
- Too many formats. Each format needs its own tools, set-up time and storage space, and splits your volume. Combine similar formats and negotiate volume tiers on the pooled quantity.
- Small orders and storage costs. Small call-offs incur surcharges; large purchases tie up space and capital. Agree annual quantities with call-offs, and specify who holds and pays for the stock.
- Printing and cliché costs. Clichés, printing plates and cutting dies are one-off costs. Without a rule, you pay again for every design change and every change of supplier. Specify ownership, depreciation and handover of the tools.
- Participation fees without comparison. Producers of packaging subject to mandatory system participation join one or more systems and declare the type of material and the mass (§ 7 VerpackDG). In their fees, the systems must create incentives for recyclable packaging, recycled materials and renewable raw materials (§ 26 VerpackDG). Compare the offers and check how mass and recyclability change your fee.
Before you agree to an increase
Ask your supplier in writing:
- What share of your price is materials, and what share is wages, energy and freight?
- Which index and which reference month do you base the material surcharge on, and when will it come down again?
- What grammage, flute type and paper grade is each item based on, and what lighter alternative do you offer?
- What do you charge for clichés, tools and set-up, and who owns the tools?
- Above which call-off quantity is the small-order surcharge waived, and who bears the storage costs?
For the review, you need: the framework agreements and price sheets, the specification for each item, the call-offs and invoices for the last twelve months, the notice of the increase and your quantity reports to the system.
How we renegotiate packaging
We analyse your call-offs and invoices for the last twelve months by item, compare the specification with actual requirements and check material surcharges against the right index. We negotiate formulas that also go down, fewer formats and clear rules for tools and small orders. Our senior negotiators handle large contracts in person, together with your buyer. We process the many small contracts in a standardised, software-supported way, following your rules. You approve every deal.
Frequently asked questions about packaging
Our cardboard packaging supplier is raising prices, citing paper prices. Is that justified?
Partly. Producer prices for containerboard were 10.2% higher in September 2026 than in the same month a year earlier, and 11.6% higher for testliner. In June 2025, however, the containerboard index stood at 101.4 points, higher than in September 2026 at 98.6 points. Ask for the index, reference month and material share, and check whether your price came down after the decline up to February 2026.
Which index is suitable for films and plastic packaging?
For the raw material, the import prices for plastics in primary forms (statistic 61411). In August 2026 they were 17.2% higher than in the same month a year earlier. For the finished packaging, use the most detailed matching series of producer prices (statistic 61241) in GENESIS-Online. Link only the material share to the index.
What changes under the EU Packaging Regulation?
It has applied since 12 August 2026, supplemented in Germany by the VerpackDG. Producers of packaging not subject to mandatory system participation need a producer responsibility organisation or their own authorisation; without authorisation, they may make such packaging available until 31 December 2027 at the latest. Fines for breaching the requirements of the EU Regulation apply from 12 February 2027.
How much is the single-use plastics levy?
That depends on the product type and weight. Per kilogram, § 2 of the Einwegkunststofffondsverordnung (Single-Use Plastics Fund Ordinance) lists, for example, €0.177 for food containers, €0.876 for packets and wrappers and €1.236 for beverage cups. Clarify who is liable for the levy under the Einwegkunststofffondsgesetz (Single-Use Plastics Fund Act) and whether the levy is included in your supplier’s price.
Sources
- Die Papierindustrie e. V. (German paper industry association): index of producer prices of industrial products for paper, cardboard and paperboard, Destatis data, 2021 = 100, up to September 2026 (PDF)
- Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis): producer prices in September 2026, press release of 20 October 2026
- Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis): import prices in August 2026, press release of 30 September 2026
- Regulation (EU) 2025/40 on packaging and packaging waste of 19 December 2024 (EUR-Lex)
- European Commission: Packaging waste, Regulation (EU) 2025/40 in force since 11 February 2025, applicable from 12 August 2026
- IHK Schwarzwald-Baar-Heuberg (Chamber of Industry and Commerce): VerpackDG and PPWR
- § 3 Verpackungsrecht-Durchführungsgesetz (VerpackDG, German Packaging Law Implementation Act)
- § 7 Verpackungsrecht-Durchführungsgesetz (VerpackDG, German Packaging Law Implementation Act)
- § 26 Verpackungsrecht-Durchführungsgesetz (VerpackDG, German Packaging Law Implementation Act)
- § 68 Verpackungsrecht-Durchführungsgesetz (VerpackDG, German Packaging Law Implementation Act)
- § 2 Einwegkunststofffondsverordnung (Single-Use Plastics Fund Ordinance): levy rates for the single-use plastics levy
- EUWID: Altpapier Deutschland (waste paper, Germany), market reports (subscription required)
