FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

That depends on which service you choose.
If you choose the licensing service, in which our experienced team for Europe-wide packaging licensing takes over the fulfilment of the requirements for you and is available for personal consultation, you no longer have to take action yourself.

If you just want to find out more and don’t want to take out a packaging licence yet, we offer you our information packages. This does not include licensing.

For licensing packagings in Germany, you can also use our sister shop LIZENZERO.DE, where you can take care of your licensing in just a few steps and benefit from numerous additional services that will make it easier for you to comply with the German Packaging Act.

The packaging licensing requirements of the various EU countries are based on the EU Packaging Directive (Directive 94/62/EC on Packaging and Packaging Waste, amended in 2018 by the Directive (EU) 2018/852). This regulates the EU-wide requirement to recycle packaging waste and forms the basis for the legislation passed by the individual Member States. In order to meet the EU’s packaging recycling targets, the Directive requires retailers and manufacturers to participate in a fee-based packaging recycling programme, i.e. to license their packaging.

Each member state decides for itself how to translate the Directive into national law. As a result, the requirements sometimes differ greatly from one country to the next. Additionally, most third countries outside the EU also have similar laws. Implementing the requirements can therefore be highly complex for retailers and manufacturers who export to several European countries.

Household packaging is the packaging that is used to contain or protect products supplied to consumers and is normally discarded after use. This includes not only product packaging but also shipping packaging and all of its components. In order to comply with their responsibility to ensure that the recyclable materials contained in their packaging are in fact recycled, vendors are required to license the packaging in each of their export markets.

Commercial packaging is packaging that is used when transporting goods to another distributor or manufacturer rather than to the end consumer (= B2B packaging). Some countries require the licensing of commercial packaging in addition to household packaging.

Larger quantities of waste material (e.g. building rubble or bulky refuse), however, are not subject to licensing requirements but must be recycled by the end user via a container service.

There is no single answer to this question, because just as the requirements, licence fees and procedures vary, so do the sanctions for violations.

However, trade prohibitions, warnings and sometimes large fines (up to €200,000 in Germany and up to €7,500 per material fraction in France) are some of the penalties that can be expected. In some countries, courts can impose a prison sentence of several years.

It varies from one country to the next. Minimum quantities do exist in some countries, while in others – such as Germany – the obligations apply right from the first package put on the market.

When you use our services, we show you clearly what regulations apply to which country.

There are sometimes substantial differences between countries in the cost of licence fees. The most important factors considered in calculating fees are the quantity of packaging and the materials used. There can also be costs for administrative agencies, processing, etc.

If you use our service, we will tell you what fees you can expect so that you can decide what to do based on accurate information. Please note that fees are subject to change (sometimes at short notice).

Our licensing service offers you a completely worry-free package. Instead of carrying out licensing on your own using our action guides, which are particularly worthwhile when dealing with smaller volumes, our experienced team will provide you with comprehensive support for licensing your packaging throughout Europe. They’ll also advise you in detail on the individual steps you need to take and will be available at all times to answer any questions you may have. Feel free to contact us at any time to discuss this.

You are not subscribing to the information packages at LIZENZERO.EU, so no cancellation is necessary. Your access is valid for one year, after which it expires automatically. You can order additional packages and/or export countries at any time.