Belgium EPR (Fost Plus) Guide for Shopify Sellers
Last updated: 12 July 2026
What is Fost Plus?
Belgium's packaging EPR rules generally require a business placing packaging on the Belgian market above a threshold to register and report. Fost Plus is the accredited compliance organisation most household-packaging sellers, including e-commerce sellers, use to meet this obligation.
Who is generally obligated
Belgium generally classifies packaging by where the waste ends up, not by packaging type — so both your product's own packaging and the shipping or mailer packaging used to deliver an order to a Belgian consumer's home are generally treated as household packaging, in scope for Fost Plus. This applies to foreign, non-Belgian distance sellers as well.
The weight threshold — what it actually means
Belgian rules set a de-minimis figure, measured in kilograms of packaging placed on the Belgian market per calendar year — see the exact figure in the official sources below. Many small foreign sellers fall under it, and may qualify for a de-minimis exemption from the take-back obligation specifically — not from every rule that could apply to your business. This figure is also reported to be changing under upcoming EU packaging rules, so confirm the current position against the official source below before relying on it.
What a Fost Plus declaration covers
A Fost Plus declaration reports packaging weight by official material category, for the calendar year. The material categories a declaration can cover are:
- Glass — bottles, flasks and jars
- Paper-cardboard
- Steel (≥50% steel)
- Aluminium (≥50 µm / <50 µm)
- Beverage cartons
- PET bottles & flasks
- Rigid plastics other than PET bottles & flasks
- Flexible plastics (films)
- Compostable / biodegradable plastics
- Other plastic packaging (plastic = greatest weight)
- Composite — paper-cardboard greatest weight
- Composite — glass greatest weight
- Composite — steel greatest weight
- Cork
- Wood
- Other valorised (textile, rubber, …)
- Pottery, ceramics, porcelain
- Composite — assign to dominant-material category (not an official category)
How Tarra helps
Tarra reads your Belgium-shipped Shopify orders and your packaging profiles, and totals the weight per official Fost Plus material category shown above. It generates a declaration-ready CSV you can use for your Fost Plus filing, or keep as your supporting calculation if you fall under the threshold. Tarra is a data-preparation tool only: it does not register you, does not determine whether the de-minimis exemption applies to you, and does not submit anything to Fost Plus or any authority. You review the totals, confirm your position, approve the report, and file it yourself if required.
FAQ
Do I need to register with Fost Plus if I only sell online from outside Belgium?
Generally, yes, once your packaging volumes reach the threshold — foreign distance sellers shipping packaged goods to Belgian consumers are generally in scope. Confirm your specific situation against the official source below.
What happens if my volumes are under the threshold?
You may qualify for a de-minimis exemption from the take-back obligation, but this figure is reported to be changing under upcoming EU packaging rules — confirm the current position against the official source below before relying on it.
Does Tarra submit my declaration to Fost Plus for me?
No. Tarra prepares your per-material totals as a CSV. You review it, confirm your position, approve it, and file it yourself if you're required to.
What materials does a Fost Plus declaration cover?
The official material categories listed above, under "What a Fost Plus declaration covers."
Official sources
- Registration / declaration portal (Fost Plus): https://www.fostplus.be/en/members/declaration
- Primary official source: https://www.ivcie.be/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/516.pdf
- You'll be asked for your Fost Plus member number (optional) when you register.
Deadlines
- Fost Plus annual declaration (previous calendar year) — due February 28, every year.
Packaging below 300 kg placed on the Belgian market in a calendar year may fall under a de-minimis exemption from the take-back obligation under the Interregional Cooperation Agreement; this exemption may change under upcoming EU packaging rules (PPWR), so confirm the current position before relying on it.
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.