Today is August 10th, just two days remain until the EU PPWR packaging regulation officially takes effect on August 12th!

A month ago, Amazon already notified sellers: All sellers with goods in the EU must complete EPR registration and submit their ERN number before August 12th, otherwise your products may face suspension.

Even now, many Europe-site sellers may still be unfamiliar with the new “EU PPWR packaging law.”

Here is the simplest way to understand this regulation: From August 12th onward, as long as you sell packaged goods to the EU market, you are responsible for the waste recycling and disposal of that packaging—this is the “Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)” mentioned in the regulation.

This new “PPWR” also differs from the previous “old packaging directive.”

Previously, each EU country issued its own packaging rules with inconsistent standards. PPWR is a unified regulation directly applicable across all 27 EU member states, further strengthening and implementing the EPR system.

The term “producer” here includes anyone selling products to Europe. Whether your company is based in China or overseas, whether you use FBA or FBM fulfillment, you are deemed a “producer” and must take responsibility for packaging waste recycling and disposal.

Everyday packaging like plastic bags, boxes, air-cushion films, and shipping cartons all falls within the scope of this regulation.

Currently, the compliance process for Chinese sellers involves three main steps:

1. Complete EPR registration one by one for each EU country where you sell and obtain the local ERN registration number.

2. Upload the registration number to the Amazon Seller Central compliance portal.

3. Subsequently report your packaging weight on a periodic basis and pay the corresponding environmental disposal fees.

A common pitfall: an EPR registration number cannot be used across countries. A German number won’t work for a French site. Sellers with Pan-EU programs must register separately in the five core countries—Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands.

Furthermore, registration is only the first hurdle; packaging material review is the hidden challenge.

PPWR not only requires obtaining a registration number but also sets mandatory standards on recyclability, composite materials, and hazardous substance content. Many commonly used composite packaging materials in China are not approved within the EU recycling system.

Some beauty and personal care sellers report that composite outer packaging they’ve long relied on may fail Italy’s EPR system audit, requiring a packaging redesign later—which in turn drags inventory, supply chains, and product pages into a ripple effect of changes.

Time is short and tasks are heavy. In cross-border business, compliance always comes first—wishful thinking cannot override formal EU legislation.

In these final few days, sellers who haven’t taken action should first map out which EU countries they actually sell into and start the registration process as soon as possible.

Those already registering should keep all supporting documents safe and simultaneously check whether their product packaging meets PPWR material requirements.

Opportunities still exist in the European market, but only if you cross this compliance threshold.

Source: Cross-border Seller Hub