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KNOWLEDGE BASE

Understand EPR and PPWR, without the guesswork.

Clear, source-checked guides to EU packaging compliance – how Extended Producer Responsibility and the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation actually work, from the fundamentals to the rules in each market.

58
in-depth guides
3
topic areas
31
European markets

Browse by topic

Three ways in, depending on what you need to work out.

EPR compliance

Who counts as a producer, how to register in each market, and how packaging fees are calculated. Start here if you're working out what you already owe.

16 guides

PPWR regulation

The EU-wide packaging rules phasing in from August 2026 – recyclability grades, minimised packaging, and the Declaration of Conformity. What changes, and when.

20 guides

EPR by country

Every market has its own register, PRO, material categories and deadlines. Guides for the countries you ship into, with the thresholds that decide when you're late.

23 guides

Start here

New to all this? These explainers cover the fundamentals before you go deeper.

  1. Refuse truck tipping a large pile of cardboard and paper packaging waste at a recycling sorting facility1

    What Is EPR? Extended Producer Responsibility Explained

    Extended Producer Responsibility makes whoever first places packaging on a market pay to recycle it. Register per country, join a PRO, report by material.

    4 min read
  2. Grid of empty corrugated cardboard box dividers seen from above2

    EPR vs PPWR: The Difference Explained (2026)

    EPR is the principle that makes you pay for packaging waste. PPWR is the binding EU regulation, applicable 12 August 2026, that dictates packaging design.

    4 min read
  3. White recycling symbol on the side of a blue plastic recycling bin3

    PPWR Explained: EU Packaging Regulation 2026

    The PPWR (Regulation (EU) 2025/40) applies from 12 August 2026 and binds all 27 member states identically: packaging design, recyclability and labelling.

    4 min read

Tools and references

Two free companions to the guides.

EPR and PPWR glossary

Plain-language definitions for the acronyms, schemes, and terms you meet across the guides.

Does EPR & PPWR apply to me?

Answer a few quick questions to see which markets and packaging rules apply.

Look up a term by topic

PPWRThe EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, article by article: what it bans, what it requires, and when.
EPRExtended Producer Responsibility itself: who counts as a producer, who you register with, and how fees are set.
MaterialsFormats and materials, from corrugated board to flexible films, and which recycling stream each one lands in.
Registers & countriesWho you actually register with: LUCID and the ZSVR in Germany, Citeo in France, Verpact, NPA, and the schemes outside the EU.
Fees & thresholdsWhat it costs and when it starts: tariffs, eco-modulation, de minimis thresholds, packaging taxes and deposit-return.
Reporting & auditsThe paperwork and its consequences: declarations, volume reports, data requirements, audits, and the penalties for getting them wrong.
E-wasteWEEE and batteries: registration numbers, take-back duties and the equipment categories that pull you in.