How Does ARA Packaging EPR Work in Austria?

Austria runs a mature packaging extended producer responsibility (EPR) system. In outline, producers must be entered in the national packaging register and must license their packaging through an authorised collection and recovery scheme — the best-known being ARA (Altstoff Recycling Austria). The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (EU) 2025/40 (PPWR) provides the EU-wide framework, but this registration and licensing remain national.

The basic steps

• If you place packaged goods on the Austrian market, you are generally treated as the producer for these purposes.
• You enter the national packaging register.
• You license your packaging through a scheme such as ARA and declare the volumes you place on the market.
• Your contributions help fund the collection and recycling of packaging waste.

What to keep in mind

The Austrian system operates in German, so plan for the registration and declarations to be conducted in the language. ARA is the most familiar scheme, but the system allows for competing schemes, so it is worth confirming which arrangement fits your business. And because registers are per Member State, Austrian licensing covers Austria only — other markets need their own registrations, even though the PPWR rules are harmonised EU-wide.

For the wider framework, see our PPWR law page and the complete PPWR guide.

This answer is educational and does not constitute legal advice.