PackGuard — Smart Box Sizing & Empty Space Tracking
PackGuard is a Shopware 6 plugin that automatically calculates the empty space ratio for every order, suggests the optimal box from your warehouse catalog, and records the result — so your warehouse staff always picks the right box and you can see how much air you ship, well before the EU empty-space limit applies.
What it does
When an order arrives, PackGuard calculates how much space the products would occupy inside every box in your catalog and ranks the boxes by empty space percentage. Staff see the suggestion card on the order detail page, select a box, and move on. Orders above your configured thresholds are flagged as warnings or blocked until a compliant box is chosen (or an override reason is provided).
Behind the scenes, PackGuard also:
- persists the selected box and compliance status per order for dashboard reporting
- generates a Packaging Efficiency Report PDF per box type
- tracks aggregate packaging efficiency on a live compliance dashboard
Who it is for
| Persona | Primary value |
|---|---|
| Warehouse worker | Sees exactly which box to pick for every order — no guesswork |
| Operations manager | Monitors packaging efficiency and catches waste trends on the dashboard |
| Compliance officer | Downloads Packaging Efficiency Report PDFs per box type as an internal record |
| Shop owner | Reduces shipping costs by right-sizing boxes and prepares for the EU empty-space limit |
Regulatory background
EU Regulation 2025/40 (PPWR), Article 24, sets a 50% maximum empty space ratio for e-commerce, transport and grouped packaging. It applies from 1 January 2030, or three years after the Commission publishes the calculation method, whichever is later. Space taken up by filling material (paper, air cushions, bubble wrap, foam) counts as empty space. PackGuard helps you measure and reduce empty space today; it does not replace the EU declaration of conformity that packaging manufacturers draw up under Article 39, and it is not legal advice. PackGuard's three configurable thresholds (tracking / warning / block) let you enforce stricter internal rules today and relax or tighten them with a slider — no code changes required.
Sections
- Getting started — install, add your first boxes, and get your first box recommendation on an order
- How-to guides
- Configuration reference — settings, entities, ACL permissions, and API routes
- Concepts — how empty space is calculated, threshold logic, and the constraint system