The world’s largest e-commerce platform, Amazon, had previously announced in 2022 that it would enhance the responsibilities of its sellers regarding Enhanced Producer Responsibility (EPR), driven by environmental protection regulations in Germany and France.

These countries have held all producers and sellers, including e-commerce vendors, accountable under new regulations. Consequently, Amazon, as an e-commerce platform, has introduced new obligations for its sellers in line with these rules.

We’ve compiled key information about this topic, which is of great importance, especially for producers.

In short, EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) is an environmental policy concept that holds a producer responsible for the entire lifecycle of their product, including waste such as packaging. This is a policy implemented by governments.

Germany and France have made producers accountable under this policy. Amazon, in turn, requires its sellers to comply with EPR regulations and report compliance to them.

Who Does It Affect?

If your product has packaging that will become waste, you are considered a producer under EPR regulations. You are responsible for the waste even if you package your product in an additional packaging to send to your customer. If you sell or export a product subject to these rules in those countries, these regulations apply to you.

Applicable Categories

The categories subjected to Enhanced Producer Responsibility (EPR) vary between Germany and France. The categories include:

Categories in France:

• Packaging Products
• Electronic Products
• Textiles
• Tires
• Paper Products
• Chemical Products
• Batteries

Categories in Germany:

• Electronic Products
• Batteries
• Packaging Products

Businesses operating in the mentioned categories in these countries must register for EPR. Moreover, they are obliged to report this to Amazon.