HighDE
German LUCID Packaging Law Sales Ban
Online sellers banned from German marketplaces for failing to register packaging with LUCID.
What Happened
Germany's Central Packaging Register Office (ZSVR) intensified enforcement against unregistered online sellers. The ZSVR contacted thousands of sellers in March 2023 and imposed hundreds of sales bans (Absatzverbot). Sellers without LUCID registration and dual system participation contracts were blocked from operating on German marketplaces.
When
March 2023 onwards, ongoing enforcement
Cause
Sellers shipping packaged goods to Germany without registering with LUCID or contracting with a dual system provider.
Resolution
- 1Register on LUCID portal (lucid.verpackungsregister.org)
- 2Select and contract with a dual system provider
- 3Report estimated annual packaging volumes
- 4Obtain system participation contract number
- 5Update marketplace with LUCID and contract numbers
Timeline
1-2 weeks for registration, immediate sales ban lift after compliance
Cost
50-200 EUR/year for dual system participation + potential fines up to 200,000 EUR
Lessons Learned
- •VerpackG applies to ANY seller shipping packaged goods to Germany - no threshold
- •The ZSVR compliance list is public - non-compliant sellers are exposed
- •Marketplace operators are legally required to block non-compliant sellers
Prevention
- ✓Register with LUCID before shipping any packaged goods to Germany
- ✓Choose a dual system provider and sign participation contract
- ✓Report packaging volumes annually and update if estimates change