How does German EPR packaging work?
Germany uses the LUCID Packaging Register to identify businesses that place packaged goods on the German market. In addition to registering in LUCID, most sales packaging must be licensed with a dual system, which finances the collection and recycling of household packaging waste.
If you sell through Amazon or another marketplace, your LUCID registration can be checked before you are allowed to sell packaged products in Germany.
Registration and annual declarations
Registration is only the first step. You must estimate the amount of packaging you expect to place on the German market and report these volumes to both your dual system and LUCID. The declared quantities must match.
We can take care of both the initial registration and your ongoing declarations. Your dual system costs are based mainly on:
- Packaging material
- Packaging weight
- Annual quantities
Selling in Germany with LUCID
With your German EPR set up correctly
- Your business is registered in LUCID
- Your packaging is licensed with a dual system
- Your registration can be verified by marketplaces
If your EPR obligations are not fulfilled
- Marketplaces may block your German sales
- You may no longer legally distribute the affected packaging
- German authorities can take enforcement action
EPR registration
Is your packaging registered for Germany?
Registration complete
Your packaging is licensed with a dual system
You can provide your registration number to marketplaces
Registration missing
Marketplaces can block your German sales
You may not distribute the affected packaging in Germany
You risk enforcement and fines under VerpackG
Responsibility
Who needs to register in Germany?
You generally need German EPR packaging registration if you are the first company to commercially place packaged goods on the German market.
Selling directly to Germany
You sell packaged products directly to German consumers, including through your own webshop or online marketplaces.
Shipping from outside Germany
You send packaged goods from another country to customers in Germany and are responsible for placing that packaging on the German market.
Importing packaged products
You import packaged goods into Germany and are legally responsible for the goods when they cross the border.
How German EPR Registration Works
The process is straightforward:
Place your order
Start your German EPR packaging registration.
Provide your details
Send us your company details and estimated annual packaging volumes.
LUCID & dual system registration
We arrange your LUCID registration and participation in a German dual system.
Registration completed
You receive your LUCID registration number and confirmation of your dual system participation.
Registration
Our German EPR Packaging Service
We handle both your initial German packaging registration and the declarations required to keep it compliant.
What we take care of:
What you get:
Ready to Register Your Packaging in Germany?
Get your German EPR packaging obligations sorted without navigating LUCID and dual system requirements yourself.
We handle the registration process and required declarations, so you can keep selling in Germany with the correct EPR setup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some common questions about this service.
LUCID is Germany’s official packaging register, operated by the Stiftung Zentrale Stelle Verpackungsregister (ZSVR). Businesses subject to registration must register before placing packaged goods on the German market.
Yes. A company does not need to be established in Germany to have German packaging obligations. Foreign businesses selling packaged products directly to the German market can also be required to register.
Yes, if the seller is the producer responsible for the packaging under German law. Amazon and other online marketplaces must verify that sellers comply with applicable German packaging requirements.
For packaging, this normally refers to your LUCID registration number. It identifies your business in Germany’s official packaging register and can be used by marketplaces to verify your registration.
Not always. Packaging subject to system participation must also be licensed with a German dual system. The relevant packaging volumes must then be reported to both LUCID and the dual system.
A dual system organises and finances the collection, sorting and recycling of household packaging waste. Businesses placing packaging subject to system participation on the German market must conclude a participation agreement with a dual system.
Sales packaging and secondary packaging that typically becomes waste with private final consumers is generally subject to system participation. This can include product packaging, shipping boxes, envelopes and filling materials.
There is generally no minimum sales or packaging-volume exemption from LUCID registration where the registration obligation applies. Small online sellers can therefore have the same registration obligation as larger businesses.
Potentially, yes. German packaging obligations are not limited to marketplaces. A foreign business shipping packaged products from its own webshop directly to German consumers may also be responsible.
Possibly. LUCID registration requirements are broader than dual system participation. Whether packaging must also be licensed with a dual system depends on the type of packaging and where it typically becomes waste.
You generally declare the weight of packaging placed on the German market by material category, such as paper/cardboard, plastics, glass, aluminium and other applicable materials.
Your reporting requirements depend partly on your dual system agreement and circumstances. The packaging quantities reported to your dual system must also be reported consistently to LUCID where a data report is required.
Yes. The packaging quantities reported to LUCID must correspond with the quantities reported to your dual system for the same reporting period.
Businesses that are required to register may not legally distribute the affected packaged goods in Germany without registration. Marketplaces can also prevent non-compliant sellers from offering affected products.
Yes. LUCID registration is linked to the responsible producer rather than being a separate registration for every individual product or SKU. Your packaging volumes must still be correctly declared.
No. You do not normally obtain separate registrations for Amazon, eBay and your own webshop. The LUCID registration belongs to the responsible business.
No. Packaging EPR obligations are national. German registration only covers your German packaging obligations. Selling in France, Spain, Italy or other EU countries may require separate registrations.
We handle the German packaging registration process, including LUCID registration, dual system participation and the initial packaging volume declaration. We can also handle the required ongoing packaging declarations.
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Phone
Office
Fellenoordstraat 52 Unit 2.38, 4811TJ Breda, Netherlands
VAT
NL865927534B01
Chamber of Commerce
NL 92195873