PPWR FAQ

We currently only ship within Germany – orders from countries outside the EU (e.g. the US, UK, Switzerland) are not affected and continue as usual. The reason is a new EU regulation (PPWR) that, from 12 August 2026, would require us to appoint our own authorised representative in every single EU country we ship parcels to – regardless of how many orders actually go there. For a small, independent business like ours, that's simply not something we can manage administratively or financially. In autumn 2026, the EU Parliament is expected to discuss again whether micro and small businesses should be exempted from this obligation. Until then, we're unfortunately pausing shipping to the EU entirely.

  • From 12 August 2026, the new EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) applies across the EU. It requires us to appoint, pay, and regularly report to our own authorised representative in every EU country we ship directly to – one for each country, regardless of whether we send one parcel a year or a hundred. For us as a small, independent shop, that's unfortunately completely out of proportion to our cross-border business.

  • The PPWR (Regulation (EU) 2025/40) is a new EU regulation on packaging and packaging waste. It aims to standardise packaging rules across Europe – among other things, to make packaging more recyclable and reduce packaging waste. Unlike a directive, it applies directly in all member states without first needing to be transposed into national law.

  • The PPWR sets no minimum quantity and no de minimis threshold – a single parcel to another EU country is enough to trigger the obligation there. For us, that would mean: our own authorised representative, our own registration, and our own ongoing fees in every single EU country we want to ship to. Large retailers and marketplaces like Amazon have long since built their own structures for this – for a business our size, that's simply not feasible. As a result, small independent sellers are structurally disadvantaged by this regulation, while large platforms can continue to expand and dominate cross-border trade.

  • No. Shipping within Germany continues completely as normal. We're already properly registered for Germany (including under the German Packaging Act, with LUCID) – the PPWR changes nothing here, and no new obligations arise for us.

  • No. The PPWR obligation applies exclusively to placing packaging on the EU market. Orders from countries outside the EU – such as the US, UK, or Switzerland – are not affected and continue as usual.

  • We're following developments closely. The European Commission originally proposed suspending the obligation to appoint authorised representatives for EU-based companies until 2035 – but the Council of the European Union has not pursued this proposal further so far. Since May 2026, the European Parliament has been discussing a narrower version that would specifically exempt micro and small enterprises (up to 49 employees, up to €10 million annual turnover) from the obligation – businesses like us. The relevant committee is expected to hold a first vote on this in October 2026. Whether and when this actually leads to any relief remains open – and even if it does, it won't change anything for the 12 August 2026 deadline, as the obligation applies from that day regardless. As soon as there's something concrete to share, we'll update this page and resume shipping to the EU wherever possible.