Whether it's product packaging or shipping packaging, you are responsible for the packaging that your customers dispose of at home. You take on this responsibility by commissioning a dual system to collect, sort and recycle your packaging. This is done via a licence agreement that you conclude for your packaging - for example via Lizenzero. You have then completely fulfilled your to-do's by registering and reporting data in the LUCID packaging register. Find out more.
Use our examples to find out which packaging you are responsible for:
You manufacture, pack and dispatch products yourself
You are responsible for the following packaging and require a packaging licence for this:
- Product packaging with all components
- Shipping packaging with all filling materials and packaging aids
You order products from German producers/retailers and send them on to your customers
You are responsible for the following packaging and require a packaging license for this:
- The shipping packaging you fill with all filling materials and packaging aids
You are not responsible for the following packaging:
- The product packaging already filled by the producer/retailer
Tip: As the final distributor, you are obliged to provide proof. Therefore, have the packaging licence confirmed by your producer/retailer.
You order goods abroad and send them on to your customers
You are responsible for the following packaging and require a packaging licence for it:*
- All packaging and packaging components that come to Germany with the goods
- All other packaging that you fill and dispatch yourself
*Since you as the importer actively bring the goods to Germany, you normally have the legal responsibility; other arrangements should be set out in a contract. We show you various examples of import cases here.
You work together with fulfillment or dropshipping service providers
You can find answers to the dropshipping and fulfillment cases here: The Packaging Act on marketplaces
You send goods to German companies like cinemas, hotels or hospitals
If your customers belong to the so-called equivalent sources (e.g. sports stadiums, cinemas, hospitals, hotels, etc.), they are also to be considered private end users; according to the German Packaging Act, you are therefore responsible for licensing the following packaging:
- all packaging (product and/or shipping packaging) that you fill yourself
You ship products from abroad to German end consumers
Since you are responsible for the products when shipping directly to German end consumers, you are responsible for the following packaging and need a packaging licence for it:
- All packaging and packaging components that are shipped to Germany
You sell your products to companies such as cinemas, hotels or hospitals
In this case, your customers include so-called equivalent sources of waste generation (e.g. sports stadiums, cinemas, hospitals, hotels, etc.). These are also to be regarded as private end consumers, as they fill the same waste containers at the same collection frequency as you, and we do at home. You are responsible for the following packaging and need a packaging license for it:
- All packaging (product and/or shipping packaging) that you fill yourself
Packaging licensing that can do more
How it works
Calculate licence fee
Enter your packaging volumes per material in our calculator.
If you don't know your volumes, our calculation tool can help.
Create a Lizenzero account
The next step is to create your customer account.
This will give you access to many great services that will make your life easier (e.g. volume download for LUCID).
Close licence
Select your payment method and confirm the conclusion of the contract. That's it!
Achieve more
We not only recycle your packaging and thus save large volumes of greenhouse gases and primary raw materials, but also renaturalise a piece of moorland under the motto ‘We want Moore’.
You can find all the information here.
Achieve more
We not only recycle your packaging and thus save large volumes of greenhouse gases and primary raw materials, but also renaturalise a piece of moorland under the motto ‘We want Moore’.
You can find all the information here.
