Compliance feels like an administrative obligation. It is that, but by now it's more. Increasingly, it decides whether a brand still wants you as a supplier, and whether you're allowed to legitimately call yourself "green". And it works both ways.
What becomes visible, even without making "news"
Verpact and the Dutch Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate don't publish a name-and-shame list of non-compliant companies. But that doesn't mean it stays invisible. Large, CSRD-obligated companies must report in their annual accounts on their entire value chain, including the origin and sustainability of what they buy in (ESRS E5: resource use and circular economy). If a supplier can't deliver that data, it becomes a gap in the customer's own story. Often that doesn't lead to a scandal, but to something quieter: the next tender goes to a supplier who does have their data in order.
Why this hits suppliers harder than brands themselves
A brand that doesn't comply itself risks fines and loss of market access. A supplier who can't demonstrate that their packaging complies risks something different: simply not being chosen anymore. Brands bringing products to market are increasingly inclined to work with suppliers who are themselves green and transparent, simply because that makes their own reporting and risk profile easier. That quietly filters out suppliers who can't offer that, without a fine ever entering the picture.
The flip side: compliance becomes your proof, not just your duty
From late 2026, new EU anti-greenwashing rules apply: sustainability claims like "green", "environmentally friendly" or "climate neutral" will only be allowed with substantiated, verifiable evidence. Whoever has their packaging data in order can simply supply that evidence. Whoever doesn't may no longer be allowed to call themselves green at all, even if it happens to be true. Compliance becomes not just an obligation, but the licence to position yourself as the party brands actually want to work with.
This article describes the general direction of legislation, not legal advice. For the current status of CSRD obligations and EU anti-greenwashing rules: check official sources, or ask us.
Whether you bring packaging to market yourself or supply it to companies that do: demonstrable, substantiated packaging data will decide your position, not just your declaration. Request the free scan to see where you stand.
