PPWR in Greece: Packaging Rules for Online Sellers

Selling to consumers in Greece through your online store means the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation is on the horizon. This is Regulation (EU) 2025/40, the PPWR, which generally applies from 12 August 2026, with many detailed obligations phased in later. As a regulation, it is directly applicable across the EU, so the core packaging rules are the same for Greece as for any other Member State. This guide sets out what the PPWR asks of sellers and how it works alongside Greece’s national packaging arrangements.

One EU rulebook, national administration

The PPWR harmonises packaging requirements as directly applicable EU law. Because it is a regulation, the substantive rules do not need to be rewritten by each country. What stays national is administration, and extended producer responsibility (EPR) in particular is organised Member State by Member State. For Greece, that means the EU packaging rules apply, but you register and report through Greek arrangements. For the underlying framework, see our PPWR law page and the complete PPWR guide.

Packaging minimisation and empty space

For e-commerce, packaging minimisation is one of the most immediate themes. The PPWR discourages unnecessary packaging and limits empty space in shipments, with an indicative empty-space limit of around 50% for grouped and transport packaging used in e-commerce. Oversized boxes padded out with void fill are precisely what the regulation aims to reduce. If you ship into Greece, right-sizing your parcels is a practical first move.

Greece’s packaging recycling system

Greece manages packaging waste through EPR, with HERRCO — the Hellenic Recovery Recycling Corporation — as the principal collective scheme for packaging. HERRCO operates under the oversight of EOAN, the Hellenic Recycling Agency, which supervises producer-responsibility arrangements nationally. In practice, businesses that place packaging on the Greek market meet their recycling and recovery obligations by joining and reporting through a scheme such as HERRCO. Registration and reporting are handled in Greek.

Who counts as the obligated party

EPR obligations generally fall on the party that first places packaged goods on the Greek market. For a cross-border online seller, identifying who that is — you, an importer, or a local entity — is an early question to settle. Consider these common situations:

• You ship directly to Greek consumers and are the first to place the packaging on the market there.
• You sell through a marketplace, where responsibilities may be shared or shifted depending on the arrangement.
• You rely on a local importer or fulfilment partner who may carry part of the obligation.

Registration and reporting

Where you are obligated, you typically register with EOAN’s producer register, join a scheme such as HERRCO, and report the quantities and types of packaging you place on the Greek market. Reporting usually distinguishes material categories such as paper and cardboard, plastics, glass and metals. Keeping accurate records of what you ship underpins reliable reporting and evidences that you have met your obligations.

Design rules are coming too

Beyond EPR, the PPWR brings in packaging design requirements over time, including recyclability criteria and limits on certain substances and formats. These phase in on their own timelines rather than all landing on the general application date. For a Greek audience, the practical takeaway is that design rules will tighten gradually, so building recyclable, right-sized packaging into your plans now is worthwhile.

A practical checklist for Greek sales

• Confirm whether you are the obligated party for packaging placed on the Greek market.
• Register with EOAN and join a scheme such as HERRCO where required.
• Keep records of packaging types and quantities to support reporting in Greek.
• Right-size parcels now to meet packaging minimisation and empty-space expectations.

For more on the market you are selling into, see our Greece country page. Because timelines are phased and national specifics can change, treat the details here as a qualitative starting point and confirm the current position with the relevant Greek authority when it matters.

This article is educational, not legal advice.