The EU’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulation, effective 2025, is mandating cold chain companies to use packaging with at least 30% renewable content, reshaping global supply chains. This follows the bloc’s ban on fluorinated refrigeration containers by 2027, pushing firms like BASF to scale biodegradable insulation materials. Chinese exporters are responding by increasing R&D investment in low-carbon packaging, with PLA-based solutions now accounting for 22% of shipments to Europe to avoid CBAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism) penalties.