PPWR in Hungary: Packaging Rules for Online Sellers
PPWRSelling to consumers in Hungary through your online store means the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation is coming into view. 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 Hungary as for any other Member State. This guide explains what the PPWR asks of sellers and how it works alongside Hungary’s distinctive national EPR system.
One EU rulebook, national administration
The PPWR harmonises packaging requirements as directly applicable EU law. Because it is a regulation, the substantive rules apply uniformly across the Union. What remains national is administration, and extended producer responsibility (EPR) in particular is organised Member State by Member State. For Hungary, that means you follow the EU packaging rules but register and report through Hungarian 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 Hungary, right-sizing your parcels is a practical first move.
Hungary’s concession-based EPR system
Hungary runs a distinctive EPR model built around a national concession. MOHU (MOL Hulladékgazdálkodási), the national concessionaire, is responsible for the collection, sorting and recovery of packaging and other waste streams under a concession arrangement. Businesses that place packaging on the Hungarian market register with the national authorities and pay the EPR fees that fund the system, with MOHU delivering the operational side. Registration and reporting are handled in Hungarian.
Who counts as the obligated party
EPR obligations generally fall on the party that first places packaged goods on the Hungarian 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 Hungarian 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, reporting and EPR fees
Where you are obligated, you typically register in Hungary’s EPR system, report the quantities and types of packaging you place on the market, and pay the associated EPR fees that fund the concession. Reporting usually distinguishes material categories such as paper and cardboard, plastics, glass and metals. Because the system is fee-driven, keeping accurate packaging records is doubly important for both compliance and cost control.
Design rules are coming too
Beyond EPR, the PPWR introduces 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 arriving on the general application date. For a Hungarian audience, the practical message is that design rules will tighten gradually, so building recyclable, right-sized packaging into your plans now is worthwhile.
A practical checklist for Hungarian sales
- Confirm whether you are the obligated party for packaging placed on the Hungarian market.
- Register in Hungary’s EPR system and plan for the EPR fees that fund the MOHU concession.
- Keep records of packaging types and quantities to support reporting in Hungarian.
- Right-size parcels now to meet packaging minimisation and empty-space expectations.
For more on the market you are selling into, see our Hungary 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 Hungarian authority when it matters.
This article is educational, not legal advice.