New EPR obligation in Austria for packaging recycling

The new Austrian packaging ordinance, which came into force on January 1, 2023, regulates the financing of the collection, sorting, and recycling of recyclable materials according to the polluter-pays principle.

All companies that put packaging on the market in Austria must pay for the recycling costs accordingly and must participate in a collection and recycling system.

This includes e-commerce merchants without a registered office in Austria that sell goods to end consumers in Austria.

EPR Registration

To comply with the new EPR obligation in Austria, companies must register with a licensed packaging collection and recycling system provider.

There are some system providers (eco-operators) in Austria. The company chooses a specific operator independently.

Sellers can fulfill all obligations with one provider and can also get an authorized representative.

To understand the broader context of EPR obligations, you may find our article on “Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR): new European obligations for e-commerce sellers who pack orders” insightful.

If you are interested in learning about EPR thresholds by country, we have a detailed article on the topic that provides valuable information.

The total cost includes the packaging license and the fee for the authorization, which incur annually.

The license fees depend on the volume of packaging. If the Seller has used less than 1500 kg of packaging, he can use the flat rate. This is approximately €130 – 200 per year.

Companies must also report annual packaging quantities to the competent authority.

Get your EPR number in countries where you sell your goods with packages

EPR Reporting:

Companies must report the volume of packaging they place on the market in Austria, the type of packaging, and the material used.

They must also report the volume of packaging collected and recycled, the recycling rate, and the destination of the recycled materials.

To ensure compliance with the law, businesses must report their packaging quantities and material types on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis.

Additionally, by March 15 of the following year, businesses must file a final report of their total quantities for the previous year.

To simplify the reporting process and ensure compliance with the law, companies can subscribe to reporting services, which start at €60 (net) per year. Whether it’s EPR registration or reporting, leave a request for registration or reporting  to get your EPR number in the countries where you sell goods with packaging.

Thresholds

There are no thresholds for EPR registration in Austria.