EPR Premium Service

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Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) means that businesses that produce, import, or sell (packaged) products must participate in the recycling of their packaging or products. Specifically, this means they must pay for the waste they generate in the countries where it is produced. This is done by reporting the waste generated per country and paying the corresponding fees.

In Europe, EPR applies to, among other things:

• Packaging: cardboard boxes, packing materials, shipping bags, etc.
• Electronic products: WEEE Directive for all electrical appliances
• Batteries: All types of batteries
• Textiles: Clothing, shoes, home textiles
• Furniture: All types of furniture

The challenge? EPR regulations vary from country to country in Europe. So if you sell products to consumers in multiple European countries, you must follow different processes in each of these countries

That depends entirely on your company’s individual situation. How many countries do you sell to? Do you have specific data on your sales volumes? What kind of products do you sell? When selling electronic products across national borders, for example, there is a dual obligation to register for WEEE (“Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment”) and packaging.

For a medium-sized company that sells to 10 countries, it takes an average of about 8-12 weeks to be registered and compliant in all target countries.

Selling in a country without a valid EPR registration is illegal. You may be asked to register in a country where you are not compliant. If this request is ignored, fines will be imposed. Under the new EU Packaging Regulation, EU member states will establish sanctions by 2027 that are to be “effective, proportionate, and dissuasive” (Art. 68). It is therefore worthwhile to become compliant at an early stage.

If you sell on an online marketplace such as Amazon, you must already provide your EPR number in some countries to prove your compliance. This regulation will be extended to the entire EU in August 2026. Anyone who cannot provide an EPR number will be excluded from marketplace trading for the country in question.

This is also difficult to answer in general terms. In general, packaging made of monomaterial (such as cardboard alone) often incurs lower EPR fees than composite packaging. It is worth designing packaging for recycling, e.g., ensuring that components can be easily separated and not using harmful additives, such as in adhesives.

A rough guideline for external annual costs is:

• Packaging waste: approx. €50 to €150 per country/year (minimum cost)
• Electronics or batteries: approx. €500 per country/year (minimum cost)

These amounts vary significantly depending on the country, volume, products sold, and type of packaging used.

In some countries (such as Spain), additional one-time costs for notary and administrative services may also apply.

In addition to EPR fees, there are either the costs for personnel expenses related to EPR compliance or service fees for your EPR compliance provider. You will receive a non-binding offer for our premium service after a short initial consultation.

Yes. Particularly if you only deliver to one or two countries and only need to report packaging, rather than also electrical appliances or furniture. If you deliver to more than three countries, it may be worthwhile to hire a service provider to handle your EPR compliance. This will save you time and hassle.

The timeframe varies significantly from country to country, but also from waste stream to waste stream.

While your registration in one country may take 1–2 business days once we have received all the necessary information from you, it can take up to 12 weeks in other countries. This is mainly due to the long processing times of the authorities in some countries.

Only in very few cases is a reseller exempt from EPR regulations. These rare cases occur when the reseller purchases and resells the product within the same country.

For example, if you purchase your products from a French company and sell them to a French consumer, you do not need to register or apply for an UIN, as your supplier has already done so.

However, if you sell the product to a German end consumer, you must register for an EPR number in Germany. If you purchase your products from a German partner to sell them to a French end consumer, you must also register for a French EPR number.

ecosistant offers services for all 27 EU countries plus Switzerland, Norway, and the United Kingdom.

ecosistant is a Berlin-based compliance company founded by e-commerce experts who have experienced the complexities of EPR firsthand and have assembled a team of specialists to take that burden off your shoulders. Today, we support more than 5,000 companies worldwide with technology-driven solutions and practical compliance services.

We offer EPR compliance services in all EU countries, Switzerland, Norway, and the United Kingdom, covering a wide range of waste streams, including packaging, waste electrical and electronic equipment, batteries, textiles, furniture, sports and leisure goods, DIY supplies, gardening products, and much more.

What sets us apart is our comprehensive and flexible portfolio of services:

• Complete compliance management with no hassle: Registration, licensing, and reporting are handled entirely by ecosistant.
• Dedicated account managers for our premium clients
• In the German market: comprehensive authorization and licensing services.
• Additional services: recycling labeling, waste management, PPWR readiness.

Unlike traditional recycling compliance providers, we come from the e-commerce sector ourselves. This means we understand the unique challenges faced by online retailers. Our services are transparent, scalable and efficient. With an excellent service rating (4.8 stars on Google), we combine expertise, technology, and a customer-centric approach to ensure your EPR compliance runs smoothly under all circumstances.