PPWR for Shopify sellers: How to comply to avoid fines

As of August 12, 2026, the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) introduced new requirements for businesses, including Shopify stores, that sell to customers in the EU. Whether you run a dropshipping business, sell on third-party marketplaces, or operate a one-person store, compliance rules apply to everyone selling packaged goods in the EU market.

For many Shopify merchants, the PPWR raises questions and concerns about the registration, reporting, and compliance. In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you should know about PPWR compliance as a Shopify merchant.

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PPWR explained simply

The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) is a European Union law that sets rules for how product packaging must be designed, labelled, and managed across all EU member states.

The PPWR covers the entire lifecycle of the package, from production to recycling. Its core obligations apply from August 12, 2026, and include areas like restricted substances and extended producer responsibility (EPR).

Other requirements covered in the regulation, like minimum recycled content in plastic packaging or labelling requirements, will go into effect in the upcoming years.

The regulation doesn’t have a set minimum sales volume that would exempt small businesses.

Does PPWR apply to your Shopify store?

The PPWR applies to all Shopify stores that sell packaged goods in the EU market, no matter where the business is based. It applies to any packaged product for B2B (business-to-business) and B2C (business-to-consumer) level businesses.

The types of Shopify stores it applies to is as follows:

• EU-based Shopify stores – if you’re based in the EU and sell packaged products anywhere within the EU, then the PPWR applies to you.
• Non-EU Shopify stores selling in the EU – if your business is headquartered outside the EU but you still sell packaged goods to consumers in the EU, then you have to comply with the PPWR.
• Shopify stores selling in marketplaces – if you use platforms like eBay or Amazon, the marketplace will have to confirm that you’ve completed EPR registration before you’re allowed to sell to EU customers.
• Shopify stores using fulfillment services – if you’re using a fulfillment company for packing and shipping products to EU customers, they’ll also need to verify your EPR registration before providing services.

How to ensure PPWR compliance for Shopify merchants?

To comply with the PPWR, Shopify merchants have to review their packaging for restricted substances, register for EPR, create an EU Declaration of Conformity, and appoint an authorized representative.

We read the whole PPWR document accessible on the official European Union law website and summarized the requirements to help you understand how to comply.

1. Check packaging for restricted substances

The PPWR Article 5 requires that all packaging be made to keep harmful chemicals to a minimum, including in the packaging material, emissions it may release, and the outcomes of its waste management.

Here are the main limitations to note for your Shopify product packaging:

• Materials like lead, cadmium, mercury, and hexavalent chromium cannot exceed 100 mg/kg by weight.
• Although popular to use in grease- and moisture-resistant food-contact materials, like coffee cups or popcorn bags, packaging that contains per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) above the set thresholds can’t be sold. The thresholds are as follows:

Companies must document compliance with these limits in their Declaration of Conformity. Since Shopify stores usually buy packaging from packaging manufacturers, all they need is to get compliance documentation rather than testing it themselves.

But switching to a compliant supplier can take months, since it requires testing the new packages, updating their labels, and ordering the packages. It also takes time to clear out stocked packages that are non-compliant, so it’s best to start as early as possible.

2. Register for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)

Shopify stores that sell goods to consumers within the EU market have to register as producers in every member state they’re selling in, according to the PPWR Article 44 and 45. If you’re not registered, you cannot legally sell packaged products in those countries.

Here are the main things Shopify owners should do:

• Register in every EU country you sell in – there’s no single EU-wide registration, so you must register separately in each country’s national producer register. Start registrations as early as possible, since it can take weeks for it to be processed after you submit the information. You can find a list of some national EPR registers in the table below.

• Prepare reports annually – as a producer, you have to submit reporting data by June 1st each year. It includes information on what type of packaging you placed on the market and how much of it. The report template can be found in the PPWR ANNEX IX.
• Pay annual fees – registration fees are usually low, but the mandatory licensing fees can accumulate, considering they vary based on the country, material, and weight.
• Expect marketplace checks – if you’re using platforms like Etsy or Amazon to sell, they have to verify your EPR registration before you can ship to customers in the EU. If you can’t provide proof that you’re registered, then they may not allow you to sell, or in some cases, pay on your behalf and pass the fee back to you.

For small-to-medium Shopify businesses, registration in multiple countries, ongoing fees, and recurring reporting makes EPR a costly part of selling in the EU. Prioritize countries where you get most orders first, rather than registering and selling everywhere at once.

3.Complete a conformity assessment

Each manufacturer has to verify that their packaging meets the necessary requirements, which is called a conformity assessment. For this, you need to create technical documentation for each type of packaging you use.

The main technical documentation that has to be included is as follows:

• General package descriptions and their use
• Conceptual design, manufacturing drawings, and materials used in each component
• Information necessary for understanding the manufacturing drawings
• A list of the harmonized standards, common specifications, and other technical specifications used for assessing compliance
• Explanation of how recyclability, minimization, and reusability were carried out
• Test reports

You can learn the exact details about conformity assessments in the PPWR ANNEX VII.

4. Create an EU Declaration of Conformity

The EU Declaration of Conformity (DoC) is an obligation that’s mandatory for businesses selling within the EU and applies from August 12, 2026. It’s a statement that your packaging complies with the PPWR, which includes sustainability requirements like recyclability, minimization, labeling, and substances of concern.

The structure of the EU DoC is set in Annex VIII of the PPWR, and must involve:

• A unique identifier for the packaging
• Manufacturer details, such as name and address or authorized representative (if applicable)
• A statement that the manufacturer takes sole responsibility for packaging compliance
• Object of the declaration or description of the packaging
• References to any EU laws the packaging must comply with
• Technical standards relied on to demonstrate compliance
• Notified body details (if applicable), like phone number, address, and name
• Signature block with place and date of issue, name, function, and signature

Manufacturers must keep technical documentation like the EU DoC for 5 years from the date the single-use packaging appeared on the market. The date extends to 10 years for reusable packaging.

5. Appoint an authorized representative

Shopify businesses based in one EU country selling into a different EU country, as well as non-EU businesses selling into the EU, may have to appoint an authorized EPR representative in each member state. It’s a legal entity in the EU member state that can act on your behalf for EPR compliance.

For example, let’s say your store is based in Canada and you get an order from a customer in Poland. Since you don’t have a legal entity in Poland but want to ship to that country, you must appoint a representative according to the PPWR Article 45(3).

This raises concerns for small business owners because appointing an EPR representative in each state can quickly become expensive, adding to the registration, reporting, and other fees.

Under several social media posts, the verified European Commission account left comments claiming that they requested an end to this obligation specifically for EU-based businesses. However, the requirement isn’t formally adopted and remains in effect until EU lawmakers approve it.

Future PPWR compliance requirements for Shopify businesses

There are several PPWR compliance requirements that have not yet gone into effect, but you should start preparing for them early when possible. Here are the main requirements to track:

1. Start planning for recyclability rules

Article 6 of the PPWR requires that all packaging that you use for your Shopify store’s products is recyclable by January 1, 2030, so you need to start looking for alternatives.

Packaging is counted as recyclable if it meets the following conditions:

• When recycled, the material remains of sufficient quality compared to the original material and can replace new raw material (applies from 1 January 2030).
• When it becomes waste, it can be collected separately, sorted into the right waste stream, and recycled at scale (applies from 1 January 2035).

Packaging recyclability can be graded as A, B, or C based on the percentage of weight that can be recycled (≥95%, ≥80%, and ≥70%, respectively). From 2030, only A, B, and C grade packaging can be sold, while from 2038 – only A and B.

2. Label packaging correctly

The PPWR Article 12 states that packaging will have to carry a standardized, pictogram-based label that displays what material it’s made of from August 12, 2028. Then, from February 12, 2029, reusable packaging will have to be labelled as reusable and contain a QR code that shows where to return it and how many times it’s been reused.

3. Meet minimum recycled content targets in plastic packaging

By January 1st, 2030, plastic packaging must contain a minimum share of recycled material sourced from post-consumer plastic waste, according to PPWR Article 7.

Here are the threshold targets for different packages compared:

If you’re running a physical business alongside Shopify, you should prepare your POS systems, like checkout registers, for procedures when customers bring their own reusable containers. You can even consider selling reusable containers in your location and develop a return or deposit process.

4. Minimize packaging

According to the PPWR Article 10, you’ll need to ensure packaging minimization by January 1, 2030. Your Shopify products should be packaged with the minimum weight and volume necessary. This means you can’t use unnecessary extra layers or double walls for the sake of increasing perceived product volume.

PPWR timeline from 2025 to 2040

While the general PPWR requirements started applying from August 12, 2026, many other requirements will take effect months or years later. Here’s the full PPWR timeline that you should follow when preparing your Shopify business for compliance:

What happens if I don’t comply with PPWR?

If your Shopify store fails to comply with the PPWR, you can get different penalties depending on the member state. The PPWR requires that member states lay down “...effective, proportionate and dissuasive penalties,” which should be written by 12 February 2027.

One of the penalties can be a fine set by the member state. For example, in France, non-compliance with EPR obligations, which PPWR requires, can result in fines up to €7,500 per tonne or product unit. In Germany, fines can reach as high as €200,000, based on the violation.

Aside from monetary bans, Shopify stores can also experience distribution bans, meaning non-compliant packaged goods can be banned from being sold.

In the case where a company avoids its obligations, for example, by not paying EPR fees, the financial gains can be confiscated.

Non-compliance cases

Although the PPWR started applying on August 12, 2026, some countries already had national packaging laws before it.

For example, before the PPWR, Germany had the German Packaging Law Implementation Act (VerpackDG) with similar requirements applicable, like registering as a producer or funding the recycling of your packaging.

Here are several past non-compliance case examples:

• In 2025, a food company was charged €35,750 because it breached its obligation to file a declaration of completeness for 4 years.
• In 2024, an online beverage shop sold beverages without charging a deposit or using a deposit label. They were charged an undisclosed five-figure fine.
• In 2020, multiple fashion boutiques selling through their own online shop failed to participate in their packaging in a recycling system for years, becoming exposed to fines up to €200,000 per breach.

Final thoughts

PPWR compliance is a requirement for all Shopify stores that sell packaged products in the EU market, no matter the sales volume or business size. To comply, you need to start with obligations like restricted substance limits, EPR registration, and Declaration of Conformity.

Other PPWR requirements will phase in later years, like packaging minimization, recycled content targets, and labelling changes. So, it’s best to start preparing early, considering it can take months to switch materials and make other changes.

While the changes can seem overwhelming, especially for small Shopify stores, prioritize your top-selling EU markets first and expand registration as you scale.

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About the author

Kristina Jaruseviciute

Kristina is a Content Lead at TinySEO responsible for informing and educating readers on all things Shopify-related. She covers a broad range of topics around SEO, AI visibility, website performance, and conversion rates to help merchants stand out in a competitive landscape.