As of August 19, 2026. Supplement to the main article “What do I need to keep in mind when packing and shipping my thank-you gifts?” This is not legal advice.
Within Switzerland, there is almost nothing to do. As soon as a package is shipped to the EU, the full requirements of the EU Packaging Directive apply there.
What are the shipping rules for shipments within Switzerland?
There is no nationwide licensing requirement and no packaging registry. Switzerland is a third country; the PPWR does not apply here.
The only legally mandated fee is the advance disposal fee for glass bottles (VetroSwiss). For PET, aluminum, and tinplate, there are voluntary recycling contributions through organizations such as PET-Recycling Schweiz, IGORA, and Ferro Recycling. Cardboard and paper are collected through the municipal recycling program.
For a crowdfunding project involving the shipment of cardboard boxes within Switzerland, this means: no registration, no licensing, and no reporting of quantities.
How can I avoid duties when shipping within the EU?
For shipments within Switzerland, there are no registration or licensing requirements for standard cardboard packaging. However, for direct shipments to the EU, the requirements there cannot be circumvented by using plain, unmarked cardboard boxes.
So plan ahead before the campaign launches:
- Limit your delivery area to Switzerland or a few carefully selected EU countries, if possible.
- Offer supporters in the EU the option of digital delivery or in-person pickup.
- For larger projects, check whether an EU partner sells and delivers the goods in its own name. Simply shipping the goods directly in your name is not enough.
- If you do not opt out of direct EU shipping, be sure to plan for registration, a disposal system, quantity reporting, and an authorized representative for each destination country.
These measures can reduce or eliminate obligations.
What are the rules for shipping to the EU?
The PPWR does not distinguish based on where your project is based, but rather on where the packaging is placed on the market. As soon as you ship directly to backers in an EU country, you are putting packaging material into circulation there and are subject to that country’s extended producer responsibility.
This means, for each destination country:
- Registration in the national registry (in Germany, for example, LUCID)
- Participation in a national waste disposal system
- Quantity Report
- An authorized representative — required
Do the relief measures being discussed apply to me as well?
No. The suspension of the authorized representative requirement currently under discussion applies only to companies based in the EU.
Senders from third countries remain required to designate an authorized representative in every EU destination country—regardless of the outcome of the discussion.
So be sure to include the authorized representative in your plans.
Will a plain, ready-made cardboard box help me?
Not when shipping to the EU. The exemption from the main contribution applies only in the country where the supplier initiates the supply chain.
Your Swiss cardboard supplier does not establish a supply chain in Germany or France. If your packaging ends up as waste there, you are the one who initially provided it—regardless of whether it is plain or branded.
What else is there?
As a third-country shipper, you’ll also need a conformity assessment for your packaging, technical documentation (which must be retained for five years), and an EU Declaration of Conformity for the EU. In addition, you’ll need to handle customs clearance, pay import sales tax, and—on the product side—designate a responsible person in the EU in accordance with the General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR).
What are my options?
Three options:
Shipping is available only within Switzerland. For supporters in the EU, you can offer a digital version of your thank-you gift or arrange for pickup.
A single EU destination country. If you expect support from Germany and don't want to do without it, focus on this one country and factor the costs into your pricing. Fixed costs are incurred per country, not per package.
Sell through an EU partner. If you ship to a retailer in the EU who resells the goods there, that retailer becomes the manufacturer—not you. However, this is only realistic for larger projects involving distribution partners.
Where can I get help?
- SVI, PPWR Guide for Swiss Businesses: https://svi-verpackung.ch/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Leitfaden-PPWR.pdf
- German-Swiss Chamber of Commerce on the PPWR: https://www.handelskammer-d-ch.ch/de/articles/neue-eu-regeln-fuer-verpackungen-mit-der-ppwr-was-schweizer-unternehmen-wissen-muessen
- HÄRTING, What Swiss Retailers Need to Change Now: https://haerting.ch/wissen/eu-verpackungsverordnung-schweizer-haendler-2026/
- Prodinger, EPR Obligations for Shipments from Switzerland to the EU: https://www.prodinger.ch/ppwr-epr-pflichten-beim-versand-verpackter-waren-aus-der-schweiz-in-die-eu/
This article is not a substitute for legal advice. The legal situation is currently changing frequently. If you have specific questions, please contact a consulting firm that specializes in EU exports.