Packaging EPR · Poland
Packaging EPR in Poland — a plain guide for small cross-border sellers
Does packaging EPR in Poland apply to you?
If you ship packaged products to customers in Poland — the box, the filler, the tape, the label — Poland treats you as a "producer" of that packaging, and you need to be on the register before you sell. This is true even for a one-person webshop sending a few parcels a month. The good news: for a small seller the route is well-defined, the micro-enterprise register fee is low, and we can handle the whole thing from Finland. This guide explains it in plain terms.
Who counts as the "producer" in Poland?
Under the Polish rules, the producer is the business that first puts filled packaging on the Polish market — typically you, the seller shipping to Polish consumers. You are responsible for being entered in the national database and for arranging recovery of your packaging through a producer responsibility organisation. Selling through a marketplace does not remove this obligation for your own packaging.
Where you register: the authority and the PRO
Two things have to happen, and they are separate:
- Register in BDO, the national waste and product database, and keep the correct packaging/product section active. As a foreign company you use the dedicated foreign-company registration route and pay the fee to the competent Marshal Office to obtain your BDO number.
- Join a producer responsibility organisation (PRO) — an approved scheme that organises the recovery and recycling of your packaging. Options include Rekopol, Interzero and other packaging recovery organisations. You sign an agreement sized to the packaging weight you place on the market, by material.
Authority / register: https://rejestr-bdo.mos.gov.pl/
Do you need an authorised representative in Poland?
Not currently. PPWR Article 45(3) requires an authorised representative EU-wide in principle, but our latest research (2026) found that Poland does not currently enforce this for EU-established companies, because the country's own national implementing law is still in draft. That could change as the law progresses — we check it again before every registration. The BDO registration is filed directly in your company's name either way; if a representative or power-of-attorney route (POA) later turns out to be necessary, it can trigger a small stamp duty (indicative PLN 17), and we would set that up for you.
AR / foreign-company reference: https://bdo.mos.gov.pl/news/rejestracja-przedsiebiorcow-zagranicznych-w-bdo/
Status 24 October 2026: the EU-level requirement in PPWR Article 45(3) still applies on paper, even though Poland does not currently enforce it for EU-established companies (see above). The European Parliament (20 October) and the Council of the EU (21 October) have voted for different partial suspensions for some EU-based sellers and must now agree one text, so nothing has changed yet. Neither version covers companies based outside the EU, and neither changes BDO registration, fees or reporting. See who would qualify and where it stands.
What it costs in Poland (indicative)
What the scheme itself charges, and what our one annual price covers:
- The BDO register fee (indicative, PLN). The annual/registration fee has been PLN 200 for a micro-enterprise and PLN 800 for other enterprises since these rates doubled on 1 January 2025, and remains stable through 2026. A POA, where used, can add about PLN 17 stamp duty. We keep these in Polish złoty (PLN) — the figures are indicative and confirmed live at quote.
- PRO / material-based fees. Your Rekopol or Interzero cost depends on how much of each material you put on the market, so it is quoted per case from a live PRO quote rather than a generic per-kg number.
- Pakkausvastuu's price. Our service fee for Poland is €190 a year (€250 in the first year) — the first year's setup portion covers the registrations, mandates and scheme joining. On top of that comes the BDO registration and its annual fee, the representative or power of attorney, and PRO membership's actual cost, typically around €170 a year for a small seller — both are always itemised separately on the invoice, at cost. The typical total is about €360 a year (about €420 in the first year); plastic-heavy packaging costs more than cardboard. Prices exclude VAT and are confirmed after a free obligation check, before you pay anything. See our pricing.
Fees, thresholds and deadlines for Poland change yearly. The figures here are indicative — we confirm the current numbers live before you approve anything.
Selling into more markets too? Get a country-by-country quote →
Reporting and deadlines
Expect an annual BDO report, due by 15 March for the preceding year (16 March in 2026, since the 15th falls on a Sunday), and your PRO may also ask for periodic quantity data. We keep your BDO number, PRO agreement, any POA mandate, tariff version and next deadline in one place so nothing is missed.
How Pakkausvastuu handles Poland for you
Send us your packaging details once. We build your packaging record (material and weight per component), prepare and file the BDO foreign-company registration, set up the representative/POA route where needed, sign you to a PRO, and submit the yearly report — then track the deadline so you don't have to. You get one invoice, with our service fee and the BDO/PRO's actual cost itemised separately.
Poland packaging EPR: frequently asked questions
Do I need to register in BDO to sell in Poland?
Yes. If you put filled packaging on the Polish market, you must be entered in the BDO database and keep the correct packaging section active before selling, and arrange recovery through a PRO such as Rekopol or Interzero.
Do I need an authorised representative in Poland?
Not currently. PPWR Article 45(3) requires an authorised representative EU-wide in principle, but our latest research found that Poland does not currently enforce this for EU-established companies, because the country's own national implementing law is still in draft. We monitor this and check it again before every registration.
How much does packaging EPR in Poland cost for a small seller?
Our service fee for Poland is €190 a year (€250 in the first year), plus the BDO registration, power of attorney and PRO membership's actual cost, typically around €170 a year for a small seller — both are always itemised separately on the invoice, at cost. The typical total is about €360 a year (about €420 in the first year). We confirm exact figures in the free obligation check.
Can Pakkausvastuu register me in Poland if I'm based in Finland?
Yes. This is exactly what we do — including the BDO foreign-company registration and the representative route where it is needed.
This guide is general information for small exporters, not legal advice. Your exact obligations depend on your packaging and sales — get a quote and we'll confirm them for you.
Get your country-by-country quote
Selling across Central Europe too? See our Czechia, Slovakia and Hungary guides, or send your packaging once and get one clear quote covering every country you sell into. Get a country-by-country quote →
New to this? Start with EU packaging EPR for small business, read what an authorised representative is, or see how packaging EPR costs work.
Already covered in Finland through Sumi or Rinki? Read what your Finnish PRO covers and what it doesn't once you start exporting.