Austria EPR (Packaging Ordinance) Guide for Shopify Sellers
Last updated: 12 July 2026
What is the Austrian packaging system?
Austria's packaging ordinance (VerpackVO) generally requires anyone who places packaged goods on the Austrian market to register and report packaging data. Producers generally contract with one of several state-approved collection and recovery systems — ARA (or another approved Austrian system) is the largest — but the household tariff categories, the shape of what's reported, and the deadline are fixed by the ordinance itself, not by the system you choose.
Who is generally obligated
If your Shopify store ships packaged goods to consumers in Austria — including as a foreign, non-Austrian distance seller — you are generally in scope. Shipping and mailer packaging used to deliver an order to a private consumer is generally treated as household packaging, alongside the product's own packaging.
Registration: your Austrian representative and the GLN
Foreign distance sellers generally cannot register directly — Austrian rules generally require appointing an Austrian-based authorised representative (a "Bevollmächtigter"), who registers on the seller's behalf and reports the seller's figures separately from its own. On registration, the represented business is assigned a Global Location Number (GLN) — the EDM identification number (GLN, 13 digits) — which the representative typically holds and uses when reporting. Confirm your specific representative requirement against the official source below.
What a household tariff declaration covers
The Austrian household declaration reports packaging mass by official tariff category (Tarifkategorie), for the calendar year. The tariff categories a declaration can cover are:
- Paper/cardboard, household (Papier Haushalt)
- Glass (Glas)
- Ferrous metals, household (Eisenmetalle Haushalt)
- Aluminium, household (Aluminium Haushalt)
- Plastic, household (Kunststoff Haushalt)
- Beverage carton (Getränkeverbundkarton)
- Composite packaging, household, excl. beverage cartons (Verbundverpackungen Haushalt)
- Ceramics, household (Keramik Haushalt)
- Wood, household (Holz Haushalt)
- Textile fibres, household (Textile Faserstoffe Haushalt)
- Biogenic packing materials, household (Biogene Packstoffe Haushalt)
- Unassigned (no Austrian catch-all category)
How Tarra helps
Tarra reads your Austria-shipped Shopify orders and your packaging profiles, and totals the weight per official Austrian tariff category shown above. It generates a declaration-ready CSV that you or your Austrian representative can use for reporting. Tarra is a data-preparation tool only: it does not appoint or replace your Austrian representative, does not register you, and does not submit anything to any authority. You review the totals, approve the report, and your representative reports the figures.
FAQ
Do I need an Austrian representative if I only sell online from outside the country?
Generally, yes — Austrian rules require a foreign distance seller shipping packaged goods to Austrian consumers to appoint an Austrian-based authorised representative, who registers and reports on the seller's behalf. Confirm your specific situation against the official source below.
What is the GLN?
The GLN (Global Location Number) is the identification number assigned when a business is registered in Austria's system. For a foreign distance seller, it is generally held and used by their Austrian representative rather than the seller directly.
Is there a minimum volume before Austrian rules apply?
No — Austria's packaging ordinance does not set a weight-based exemption from the underlying obligation; it generally applies from the first unit placed on the market. Some smaller sellers may qualify for a simplified reporting arrangement — check the official source below to confirm how it applies to your volumes.
Does Tarra register me or submit my report in Austria?
No. Tarra prepares your totals per tariff category and generates a CSV. You, and generally your Austrian representative, review it, approve it, and report it.
What materials does the declaration cover?
The official Austrian household tariff categories listed above, under "What a household tariff declaration covers."
Official sources
- Registration / declaration portal (ARA (or another approved Austrian system)): https://www.edm.gv.at/
- Primary official source: https://www.ris.bka.gv.at/GeltendeFassung.wxe?Abfrage=Bundesnormen&Gesetzesnummer=20008902
- You'll be asked for your EDM identification number (GLN, 13 digits) when you register.
Deadlines
- Annual packaging declaration (via your Austrian representative) — due March 15, every year.
This guide is general information, not legal advice, and requirements can change — always confirm current rules with the official source linked below. Tarra prepares your packaging data and generates the report file; you review, approve, and file it yourself. Tarra never submits anything to an authority on your behalf.