take-e-way News and Press Releases

From 2027, Switzerland will move closer to EU rules on recycling and producer responsibility. However, its packaging laws will remain separate, so companies must meet Swiss requirements in addition to EU obligations.

Under the PPWR, packaging responsibility usually falls to the company that controls its design or production. Print-on-demand providers and retailers should define their roles early to make sure all requirements are met correctly.

The new Battery Regulation makes registration of energy storage systems mandatory. As a result, a simple check of the battery register can quickly reveal whether a product is being marketed legally in Germany, as a recent case from the online retail sector demonstrates.

“With the application of the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) and the German Packaging Law Implementation Act (VerpackDG), the responsibilities relating to service packaging will change fundamentally. On the one hand, this will concern businesses that use this type of packaging and have their name, logo or brand printed on it. On the other hand, packaging manufacturers, importers and wholesalers may also have to fulfil packaging law obligations, depending on their role in the supply chain. What's more: in most cases, it will no longer be possible to fulfil these obligations by purchasing pre-participated service packaging”, the ZSVR (Central Agency Packaging Register) states.

“Under the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), packaging used for online sales or other means of distance selling is considered e-commerce packaging. E-commerce packaging is categorised as transport packaging. Online retailers need to clarify whether they will be considered manufacturers as from 12 August 2026 and thus (as has often been the case in practice) producers because this would mean that they are responsible for packaging compliance and for financing packaging recycling, as well as for the associated registration and reporting obligations”, the ZSVR (Central Agency Packaging Register) states.

Under the German Packaging Law Implementation Act (VerpackDG), registration and data reporting obligations cannot be delegated to third parties. However, Section 7 of the VerpackDG does not prohibit outsourcing the obligation to participate in a packaging scheme. As a result, this obligation may, in principle, be contractually assigned to a third party.

The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) does not provide for any thresholds for producer registration in the Member States. In Ireland, the existing thresholds – which have so far exempted many companies from the registration requirement – will be abolished on 12 August 2026. Ireland is thus bringing producer responsibility into line with the PPWR requirements. In Belgium, too, the long-existing threshold has been abolished. In the Netherlands, this is planned for 1 January 2027. take-e-way reported informed you about this in February 2026.

With the implementation of the EU Packaging Regulation (PPWR), the registration and reporting requirements in Denmark will change on 12 August 2026.

As numerous new requirements under the EU Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) come into force on 12 August 2026, many companies are currently preparing registrations and adjustments across several European markets simultaneously. According to our information, this is leading to an exceptionally high workload for the relevant authorities and registers in various countries.

Retailers: Check your take-back obligations now! Since 1 July 2026, new German take-back and labelling requirements apply to e-cigarettes and other electrical and electronic equipment. Environmental and consumer protection organisations have announced spot checks in Germany, including in online shops. Non-compliance may lead to legal action.