Seller guide

Packaging terms, in plain English

A short reference for words used in ParcelKind. Country rules can differ.

EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility): Rules that make a producer responsible for packaging waste. This can mean registration, a scheme, reports and fees in each relevant country.
PPWR (Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation): EU packaging rules on materials, design, information and producer duties. Some provisions apply later than others.
Placed on the market: When packaging is first made available on a market. Who does this depends on the supply chain and country; a shipment alone does not settle the legal role.
Economic operator: A business with a defined packaging role, such as manufacturer, importer or distributor. Your role depends on the facts, not just the destination.
Authorised representative: A person or business appointed in a country to handle specified duties for a producer. Whether you need one depends on that country and your role.
Declaration of Conformity (DoC): A formal statement by the responsible party that packaging meets applicable requirements. ParcelKind can prepare a draft, not certify it.
Conformity assessment: The checks and evidence needed before a Declaration of Conformity is issued.
Technical documentation: The documents behind a conformity claim, such as material specifications and test evidence.
Registration number: An ID from the relevant national register or scheme. A scheme membership number is not always a national producer registration number.
Producer: The business responsible under a country’s packaging EPR rules. It depends on the seller, supply chain and national route.
PRO or compliance scheme: An approved organisation that helps producers meet packaging collection and recycling duties. Its contract and fees are separate from a national register.
Packaging recipe: Your saved list of packaging materials and weights for a product or parcel, reused across orders.
Threshold: A country-specific quantity or business-size boundary. It may change a fee or reporting route without removing registration duties.
Reporting: Giving an authority or scheme your packaging quantities for a period. ParcelKind prepares figures but does not file them.
Material: What the packaging is made of, such as paper, plastic, glass, metal or wood. Separate materials can have different fee rates.
System participation: Joining a packaging collection or recycling scheme where required. It can be separate from registering and reporting.