About the German Packaging Act

Since the tightening of the German Packaging Act, foreign sellers of goods to Germany must be registered. Here is why. The German Packaging Act, in German Verpackungsgesetz or VerpackG, is a tax on packaging to prevent too much packaging from being placed on the German market. The law applies to all sellers and manufacturers who ship goods from abroad, including the Netherlands, to Germany. Fines of up to 200,000 euros can be imposed for non-compliance with this law!

How does the German Packaging Act work?

This Packaging Act is about packaging that ultimately reaches the German end consumer and is disposed by them. It does not matter whether it is cardboard, plastic or glass. A licence must be obtained for all packaging.
As a fulfilment company, we declare to the German authorities which packaging we use for shipping (outer box and filling material). As a seller or manufacturer, you have to declare the product packaging. How do you obtain the required licence?

3 steps to obtain a licence:

1. Request a registration number from the central packaging register, the Zentrale Stelle. You will need this registration number for the next step.
2. Register with Der Grüne Punkt how much packaging material you send in a year and pay the required tax. An alternative to Der Grune Punkt is Lizenzero. Prices may vary. The amount of packaging you indicate is of course a forecast of the expected amount of packaging material. At the beginning of next year, these values will be checked and corrected again. Therefore, a registration of the actual amount of product packaging in circulation is necessary. That is why it is important that you, as a producer, declare the product packaging. Hexspoor has already paid for the shipping packaging.
3. Register this ‘settlement’ with the Zentrale Stelle (step 1).