Germany's Packaging Act (Verpackungsgesetz) makes all manufacturers and sellers who put packaged goods on the German market responsible for the collection and recycling of the waste. Registration in the LUCID register is mandatory for any business that sends parcels.

Who must register with LUCID

The obligation applies to every business – including sellers on Amazon, eBay, Etsy and their own online shops – that first fills packaging with goods and sends it to private end consumers in Germany. Boxes, tape, bubble wrap and filling material all have to be licensed.

Registering with the central agency (ZSVR)

The process starts with free registration on the portal of the Central Agency Packaging Register (Zentrale Stelle Verpackungsregister, ZSVR). After entering the company details, you receive a personal LUCID registration number, which appears in the public register.

Signing a contract with a dual system

With your LUCID number, you sign a system participation contract (Systembeteiligungsvertrag) with one of the approved dual systems (for example Der Grüne Punkt, Zentek and others). In it, you declare the expected annual weight of paper, plastic and glass you use and pay the recycling fee.

Regular reporting and penalties

You must regularly report the volumes of packaging actually used to the dual system and, with matching figures, to your LUCID account (data report). Without registration, marketplaces must not let you sell, and violations can be fined up to €200,000.

What to check

  • Register on verpackungsregister.org before sending your first order to customers.
  • Weigh a typical set of packaging materials to estimate the annual weight.
  • Sign the contract with a dual system and pay the licence fee.
  • Enter your LUCID registration number in your Amazon seller profile and your shop settings.

Example situation

A ceramics seller declares 150 kg of cardboard and 20 kg of packaging film a year using Lizenzero's online calculator, pays about €35 a year and receives an official confirmation of licensing.

Next step

Marketplaces in Germany block sellers without a confirmed LUCID number; registration takes less than an hour.

Official information on this topic

Checklists and examples are organisational recommendations. Requirements depend on the procedure, the city and your situation; check them with the relevant office before you act. Please discuss legal and tax questions with an authorised professional.

This article was prepared with the help of AI. The example illustrates the approach and does not describe a client case.