PPWR & EPR
The rules changed.
Here’s what that means for you.
If you sell packaged goods across or into the EU, packaging compliance is now part of doing business. Here’s what changed, what EPR means, and what you actually need to do.
FIRST, THE LANGUAGE
PPWR sets the rules.
EPR is part of how you comply.
They are related, but they are not interchangeable. Understanding the difference makes the rest much easier.
Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation. The EU-wide rules covering packaging used when selling products in Europe.
Extended Producer Responsibility. If you sell into an EU country, you are responsible for the packaging that arrives there.
Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation. The EU-wide rules covering packaging used when selling products in Europe.
Extended Producer Responsibility. If you sell into an EU country, you are responsible for the packaging that arrives there.
!Registration is not the same as compliance.A registration number is one requirement. Ongoing EPR responsibilities continue after registration.
DOES THIS APPLY TO ME?
If you send packaged goods to EU customers, start here.
Who counts as a 'producer' depends on how and where you sell. This is a quick check, not legal advice.
ONE REGULATION, MANY SYSTEMS
One EU regulation.
27 national systems.
PPWR sets the same rules across Europe, but you still have to register separately in each country where you sell.
The rules are straightforward. Managing them across multiple countries is the hard part.
Each country has its own registration, packaging scheme, data requirements and reporting process.
RegistrationPackaging dataEPR obligationsReportingWHAT DO I ACTUALLY HAVE TO DO?
Compliance is more than
getting a number.
Registration gets you into the system. Compliance means continuing to meet the obligations that follow.
Be registered in each Member State where the rules make you a producer.
Know the packaging types, materials and quantities you place on each market.
Submit the required packaging information to the relevant national system.
Pay the fees charged by each country's packaging scheme.
Keep registrations and reporting current as your markets and packaging change.
WHY IT MATTERS
This isn’t optional paperwork.
If you haven't registered in a country, you may not be allowed to sell there. PPWR ties market access to registration.
Registration can gate market access.Each country sets its own penalties. Non-compliance can mean fines and lost market access.
Enforcement and penalties sit at Member State level.Online platforms must obtain producer registration information and EPR self-certification before allowing relevant producers to sell to EU consumers.
Platforms have their own verification duties.WHERE MONDSEY FITS
You can understand all of this.
You just shouldn’t have to manage it.
Send Mondsey the shipment and packaging data. We handle the compliance workflow across the markets you sell into.
NEXT STEPS