EPR What is

EPR is an acronym for an EU policy called Extended Producer's Responsibility. In the EU, the collection and recycling of most product post-consumer waste is managed through the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system. Producers must ensure responsibility and obligation for the management of waste generated by their products at the end of their useful life by paying an "ecological contribution" fee

EPR is actually a regulatory framework that is practiced by many legislations, but EPR is not the name of a regulation. The so-called EU WEEE Directive and the German electrical Appliances Law, packaging law and battery law are actually equivalent to the legislative practice of this system in the EU and Germany. From this point of view, German WEEE, German packaging law, and battery law all belong to the scope of EPR. In addition, most European countries, not only EU member states, have long had corresponding laws and regulations to control EPR. EPR has been in the spotlight recently because Amazon has forced all sellers in Germany and France to provide an EPR registration number.

EPR product category

The following categories apply to goods covered by the Extended Producer Responsibility obligation in France and Germany, for which goods the seller needs to provide Amazon with the Extended Producer Responsibility EPR registration number, please refer to the figure below:

EPR Responsibilities of different subjects

If you are a manufacturer of a product covered by EPR regulations, you will need to provide Amazon with your EPR registration number. Below are the product categories covered by the French and German EPR regulations, and you must provide Amazon with the relevant EPR registration number.
If you are a manufacturer and do not have an EPR registration number, you will need to register to get one. For each EPR product category, you will need to contact the relevant Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) to obtain an EPR registration number. For detailed instructions on how to register in each country, please see the relevant section below.
If you are not a manufacturer but sell products subject to EPR regulations, you must obtain the appropriate EPR registration number from an upstream supplier and provide the EPR registration number for these products to Amazon as proof of compliance.
If you are not a manufacturer and cannot obtain a valid EPR registration number from an upstream supplier, you will need to register and provide Amazon with your own EPR registration number.

EPR How to finish

EPR is not complicated, only need to provide company information, product sales information, on time (such as monthly/quarterly/annual) to declare data, annual renewal maintenance, you can use EPR registration number for a long time.
1. Registration
2. Explain and report
3. Pay the fee

EPR Problems with Amazon

I have fulfilled my EPR obligations. Do I have to notify Amazon of this?
Yes. If you have registered for all eligible products, please provide Amazon with your EPR registration number. In the fourth quarter of 2021, Amazon will provide a link to upload the EPR registration number.

I'm a spontaneous seller. Do these rules apply to me as well?
Yes. Amazon must confirm that all sellers are EPR compliant, whether they use Amazon Logistics or self-shipping.

When do I need to take action?
Before offering products in France and/or Germany, manufacturers must ensure that they have completed the EPR registration process and have received EPR registration numbers for all applicable EPR product categories.
Do I have to register in different countries and in different EPR product categories?
Yes. Each country and the EPR product categories that can be sold on amazon.de and amazon.fr have different registration requirements, processes, and authorizers.

How often do I need to report my sales and pay the EPR fee?
Declaration and payment of EPR fees are due monthly, quarterly or annually - depending on the EPR category/Producer Responsibility organization in the respective country.

Do I have to pay for both primary packaging (product packaging) and secondary packaging (shipping packaging)?
Primary packaging (product packaging) : Yes. Both FBA sellers and spontaneous sellers must pay a primary packaging fee.
Secondary packaging (shipping packaging) : See the country Specific section for more information.
Primary packaging is packaging that directly surrounds the product, such as B. shoeboxes or beverage cans. Secondary packaging is a shipping box or bag used to protect the product during transportation to the customer. This also includes filler material for protecting the product and tape for binding packaging. Shipping labels are also part of the secondary packaging.

How high is the cost?
EPR Registration: You must pay a registration fee to the appropriate Producer Responsibility organization. Environmental charges: Environmental charges are calculated based on sales and EPR product categories and vary by country. Each Producer Responsibility organization maintains its own price schedule in accordance with the contract.

What additional steps do I need to take to become EPR compliant?
If the EPR product category in France is "EEE" or "Furniture", you will need to include the environmental charges listed on the seller's invoice in your own invoice.