Overview

Effective from early 2024, Germany’s extended producer responsibility (EPR) packaging legislation obliges every seller who ships packaged items to German customers to register with the LUCID packaging database and to partner with an approved dual‑system recycler. Amazon enforces this rule by removing listings that lack a valid LUCID number, so compliance is a prerequisite for maintaining visibility on Amazon.de.

Key Points

• Mandatory LUCID enrollment — Every marketplace participant must create an account in the LUCID registry and receive a unique registration identifier before any German shipment can be listed.
• Dual‑system partnership — Sellers are required to sign a service contract with a licensed recycling scheme (dual system) that will collect the fees associated with the material types they use.
• Packaging volume reporting — The amount of primary, secondary and transport packaging placed on the market must be reported both to the dual system and to the ZSVR authority via the LUCID portal.
• Fee calculation by material — Fees are calculated per kilogram of packaging, with separate rates for cardboard, plastic, metal and mixed materials; a seller moving 2,000 kg of cardboard in a quarter would pay the cardboard rate multiplied by 2,000.
• Four‑week registration window, five‑day Amazon check — The LUCID platform can take up to 28 days to approve a new account, after which Amazon needs five business days to verify the supplied registration number before listings become active.
• Non‑compliance leads to listing suspension — If a seller’s LUCID number is missing or invalid, Amazon automatically blocks the product detail page on the German site, resulting in lost sales and potential account health warnings.

How LUCID Registration Works

1. Create a LUCID account — Visit the official LUCID website, fill in company details (e.g., “ABC Imports GmbH”) and submit the application; a typical small‑business owner receives a registration number after 18 days.
2. Gather packaging data – Export the monthly packaging quantities from Seller Central’s EPR dashboard; for example, a seller of 1,200 units of glass bottles records 1,200 kg of glass and 300 kg of cardboard.