Own mug & food container for takeaway 2027 – PPWR customer sign, hygiene routine & pricing terms | Word/PDF/Excel

Does your café, restaurant or food truck need to prepare for handling customers' own mugs or food containers? From 12 February 2027, affected HORECA businesses will be subject to Article 32 of the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR): customers must be able to bring their own suitable containers for takeaway drinks and ready-made food, without paying a higher price or being subject to less favourable terms than for an equivalent single-use package. This package provides genuine Word templates for signage, hygiene procedures, risk assessment and price comparison, as well as an Excel register. The customer sign must be customised before it is displayed.

Quick facts: Swedish working documents in accordance with EU and Swedish food law • 5 Swedish working templates, one Swedish user guide and one English User Guide • 7 editable DOCX files, 7 searchable/printable PDFs and 1 XLSX file • 15 files in total. The PDF versions are not interactively fillable. The ZIP download will only become available once the product is published and the file is linked separately.

Who should choose this document package?

It is suitable for: (1) cafés that need to show customers how their own mugs are accepted at the counter and (2) takeaway restaurants that need procedures for customers' own food containers without cross-contamination or an extra charge. Food trucks and catering businesses with similar takeaway offerings may also be affected.

It is not suitable for: a wholesaler's general EU declaration for packaging, a manufacturer's technical packaging documentation or a comprehensive HACCP plan. The requirement for businesses to offer reusable packaging under Article 33 from 12 February 2028 is a separate requirement. Swedish obligations to offer reusable alternatives need to be assessed separately. See the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency's timeline.

All files – exact contents

The Word files are editable and the PDF files are searchable, printable copies without interactive form fields. Excel is intended for Microsoft Excel and uses standard XLSX formulas without macros or external data links.

Excel: monitor the business's actual implementation

The workbook contains the tabs Read Me, Overview, Businesses, Product Groups, Price Terms, Hygiene Check, Refused Containers, Actions and Sources. Record actual units, product groups and assessments. The automatic price difference compares the total price for the same product in a single-use package with that in the customer's own container. The status formula flags a higher price or manually entered less favourable terms. Four scenarios were tested, including incorrect numerical input without formula errors; test entries have been removed.

Example: 100 SEK for the same portion in a single-use box and 110 SEK in the customer's own container results in a recorded price difference of +10 SEK. The same price but a smaller portion must also be investigated as less favourable terms and not marked as approved. Excel cannot by itself certify legal compliance, hygiene or regulatory approval.

How to use the packages in six steps

1. Identify which takeaway items and sales outlets are covered by Article 32.
2. Determine which containers can be handled safely and which hygiene rules should be communicated in accordance with Article 28.
3. Customise the customer sign, allocation of responsibilities, staff procedures and the actual serving location.
4. Conduct and document the business's actual risk assessment and update existing food safety procedures.
5. Compare the price and other sales terms for equivalent food or drink and address any discrepancies.
6. Train staff, display the correct customer information, document actual incidents and archive current versions.

The law: what applies, when and what exceptions exist?

Article 28: Operators offering refills must inform customers about which containers are accepted, the hygiene standard and the end user's responsibilities. The rules have applied in the relevant scope since 12 August 2026. Article 28.4 allows refusal under specified conditions, for example of unhygienic or unsuitable containers. This is not an unlimited right to refuse all customers. The business's own food safety responsibilities remain. Read Article 28 and Annex VI Part C of the PPWR.

Article 32: From 12 February 2027, affected HORECA sellers of takeaway drinks or ready-made food for collection must provide a system for customers' own containers. The equivalent item may not be offered at a higher price or on less favourable terms than the single-use alternative. This option must also be clearly visible at the point of sale. The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency confirms the date.

Hygiene and safety: The food business must manage risks such as allergens, dirty containers and contamination within its own workflows. The template does not replace actual hygiene checks, HACCP-based procedures or professional assessments when required. See the Swedish Food Agency's hygiene guidance.

How does it differ from other templates?

The existing PPWR compliance package is aimed more broadly at packaging operators and technical compliance. The HACCP and self-monitoring package covers the entire food safety process. This product specifically addresses customers' own containers, customer signage and safe takeaway handling under Articles 28 and 32.

Frequently asked questions about customers' own mugs and food containers

Must all cafés accept any mug?

No. The business and product must first be assessed for suitability. During refilling, unhygienic or unsuitable containers may be refused in accordance with Article 28.4 and the communicated rules, while the affected business must have a functioning system in accordance with Article 32 from 12 February 2027.

Can the restaurant charge an extra fee for customers' own food containers?

Not if it makes the equivalent takeaway product more expensive than the single-use alternative under Article 32.2. Less favourable non-price terms are also covered.

Is a customer's own mug the same as the requirement for businesses to offer reusable mugs?

No. Article 32 concerns customers' own containers from 2027, while Article 33 from 2028 concerns a separate offer of reusable packaging. Relevant Swedish regulations on reusable alternatives should be checked separately.

Is the sign ready to hang up?

No. The printable sign is an authentic template where the business name, permitted containers, hygiene rules, serving workflow and contact details must be filled in and checked before use.

Can the PDF files be filled in digitally?

No. The Word files are editable; the PDF versions are searchable and printable but lack interactive form fields.

Have the Swedish working templates also been translated into English?

No. The five working templates, the Swedish guide and Excel are in Swedish. The English User Guide provides user instructions, not translated versions of the main documents.

Official sources and transparent review status

Legal source: EU Regulation 2025/40, Articles 28, 32 and 33, and Annex VI Part C. Swedish regulatory guidance: the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency's timeline and the Swedish Food Agency's Kontrollwiki. Version 1.0, AI-assisted legal source check 8 November 2026. No documented independent legal or food safety expert review. None of these templates have been approved by any authority.