Register, participate, report: obligations overview
If you place packaged goods on the German market on a commercial basis, the obligations under the Verpackungsgesetz (Packaging Act) apply to you. The exact requirements depend on what kind of packaging you have.
- No matter the type of packaging – all companies placing goods on the German market must register with the LUCID Packaging Register.
- All other obligations depend on whether the packaging is subject to system participation or whether the packaging is not subject to system participation. If the packaging is subject to system participation, you must pay for its recycling. This is called 'system participation'.
- You pay for the recycling of your packaging that is subject to system participation by concluding a system participation agreement with a system operator.
- You are also required to regularly report the volumes of your packaging subject to system participation to your system and the LUCID Packaging Register (data reporting).
Packaging subject to system participation
Exclusively pre-participated service packaging
Final distributors such as bakeries, food and beverage businesses (including takeaways) can buy unfilled service packaging 'with pre-participation' from their upstream distributor (e.g. supplier or wholesaler). In these cases, the upstream distributor has already participated the unfilled packaging with a system. This must be stated on the invoice and/or delivery note. Companies that buy exclusively pre-participated service packaging and do not place any other packaging subject to system participation on the German market only have to register in the LUCID Packaging Register; they do not have to participate their packaging with a system and do not have to report their packaging volumes.
Packaging not subject to system participation
Please see section 15 VerpackG (Packaging Act) for the return, recovery and record-keeping obligations that apply to you for packaging that is not subject to system participation. Section 31 VerpackG also applies for single-use beverage packaging subject to deposit.
How to fulfil your obligations under German packaging law – it's fast and easy!
Please note: these pictures are examples.