Did you know that businesses failing to comply with the new packaging law can face a fine up to €50.000? If you are expanding your business activities to Germany then there is a lot to think about. One of the things that are easily forgotten about is the packaging you deliver your goods with.
Check out the 4 most common questions about the new law VerpackG here and make sure to act according to the new law.
When did the Packaging Act come into force?
The new Packaging Act (VerpackG) came into force on January the 1st, 2019 and replaced the Packaging Ordinance that had previously applied.
To whom do the regulations apply?
VerpackG applies to all packages filled with goods and brought into circulation at the end consumer (including filling material). Anyone who brings packaging to the German end consumer is affected, thus online retailers without an entity in Germany as well. The principle of extended product responsibility applies. This means that anyone who puts filled packaging into circulation is responsible for taking it back and recycling it.
What applied before the Packaging Act ?
Based on the Packaging Ordinance (VerpackV), participation in one or more retrieval systems was already mandatory in the case of sales packaging which typically accumulates at consumers (households and comparable sources of waste) and which can be collected and recycled via the German yellow sack, glass or waste paper containers.
What has changed with the Packaging Act?
A central office has been created to increase transparency in licensing and to assist law enforcement authorities in combating sublicensing. The aim is to dispose packaging on a sustainable and competition-neutral basis.
In addition to a significant increase in the quotas for mechanical recycling, some obligations and definitions have also been tightened with the Packaging Act as you can see in the following chart.
New quotas
As of 1 January 2019, the requirements for the recovery of packaging will increase and after that as of 1 January 2022.
https://verpackungsgesetz-info.de
The Packaging Act also includes the target of a reusable quota of 70 percent for beverage packaging. In addition, the mandatory deposit for beverage packaging was extended. In future, carbonated fruit and vegetable drinks as well as beverages containing more than 50 percent of dairy will be subject to the mandatory deposit.
To Do’s
Are you thinking of expanding your business activity to the German market or do you ship products to the German market already these are the steps you need to take in order to act according to the German packaging act:
- Register your company at www.verpackungsregister.org with the Stiftung Zentrale Stelle Verpackungsregister in the LUCID database.
- Log on to the dual system with your registration number from the central packaging register office – for example, via Lizenzero.de.
- Use the calculation aid and calculator to send an initial estimate to the dual system and the central packaging register office.
- At the beginning of the following year, you must report the packaging actually placed on the market – this is particularly easy if you have a Lizenzero customer account.
- Companies that put an especially large amount of packaging into circulation must also submit a declaration of completeness.
- Last but not least: pay attention to specific regulations that apply to your company or industry.
Lizenzero provides a lot of useful information and provides support for registering your packaging in Germany.
Don´t hesitate to get in touch with us as well if you need any advice on packaging for Germany or about Expansion Intelligence in general.