Step-by-step instructions for LUCID quantity notification and green dot
As an Amazon FBA Seller, you are obliged under the German Packaging Act to license all sales packaging that you put into circulation. Packaging licensing ensures that as much packaging as possible is collected after disposal by the end consumer and recycled accordingly. This requires registration with the LUCID packaging register and participation in a dual system (responsible for recycling product packaging). The annual costs for packaging licensing depend on the weight, type of packaging, materials and quantity of packaging.
In this article, you will find detailed step-by-step instructions on how to register with LUCID and then license your packaging with the dual system “Der Grüne Punkt”.
What information do you need for packaging licensing?
For the packaging license, you need the weight of your packaging materials (product packaging + shipping cartons). Either weigh the materials yourself or have them weighed during your next Quality Inspection.
All packaging that is put into circulation by you and ends up as waste with the end consumer must be licensed. This includes:
- Aluminum
- Glass
- Plastics
- Paper/cardboard/cardboard
- Ferrous metals
Attention: This also includes the shipping carton of your manufacturerwhich is disposed of in the FBA warehouse! This is because the company that can be identified on the packaging is responsible for licensing.
Since July 1, 2022 the secondary packaging must also be reported by “Shipping by Amazon”. To determine the packaging quantity for this, go to “Reports”, “Shipping by Amazon” in Seller Central and then click on “Reports on EPR categories” in the bar on the left under “Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)”. You can download the report as a CSV file for the corresponding year and transfer the quantity.
Please note: The details of your packaging quantities are estimates and cannot be totally accurate! You can adjust the details later. If you find it difficult to estimate how many sales you will make in the next year, you can use other sellers in your niche as a guide. Multiply the monthly sales by 12 to get the expected annual sales. Be sure to take seasonal fluctuations into account. You then submit an initial planned quantity notification in line with your expectations. Your task now is to track how much packaging material you put into circulation throughout the year. At the end of the year, you then report these actual quantities to your dual system and the central LUCID database in the year-end quantity report.
Step-by-step guide to packaging licensing
Step 1: Go to the LUCID website: https://lucid.verpackungsregister.org/
Click on “Start registration” under Manufacturer.
Step 2: Enter your details and click on “Create login”. Check your details and tick the terms of use. Then click on “Complete login creation”. Next, you will receive a confirmation email from LUCID.
Step 3: Open the confirmation email from LUCID and click on the link to activate your login.
Step 4: Enter further information about your company. If you do not have a commercial register number, you can select “Business registration” under “Type of national identification number” and enter your business registration number under “National identification number”. Then click “Next” twice.
Step 5: Enter your brand name or the name of your company. Click on “Save” and twice on “Next”.
Step 6: Select “In preparation” under “Declarations and consents”. Check “I am not an authorized third party” and “I hereby declare that the information I have provided in the application is true” and click on “Submit application for registration” at the bottom right. You are now registered with LUCID!
Step 7: You will receive a provisional registration number by e-mail. You can use this to complete the packaging license.
Step 8: The dual system of Duales System Deutschland GmbH – Der Grüne Punkt – is recommended for packaging licensing. Start the licensing process here: https://www.verpackgo.com/de/license-calculator/
Step 9: Select the year for which you want to enter the packaging quantity and click on “Next”.
Step 10: Now multiply the packaging weight of your product by the expected sales for the current year. If you have several products, carry out this step for each product and add up the results. For example, if your packaging consists of a carton box and a polybag, the weight should be entered separately for the box under “Paper, cardboard, carton” and for the polybag under “Plastics”.
Step 11: In the next step, you can select the contract types.
You definitely need to participate in the system. You can also book brand usage. This gives you permission to use the well-known Green Dot logo on all your licensed packaging.
Step 12: Check the details and click on “Checkout”.
Step 13: In the last step, enter your company details and the LUCID registration number and click on “Next”. Select the payment method and check one last time that all the details are correct. Confirm the terms and conditions and privacy policy and click on “Complete with obligation to pay”. Done!
Tip: Adjust your details once a year at the end of the financial year. If you have sold more than stated, you can easily correct this afterwards.
How to deposit your packaging licensing with Amazon
Since the beginning of 2022, you can enter your LUCID number in the EPR Compliance Portal in Amazon Seller Central. You can find this by entering the term in the search bar in your seller account. There you can enter your LUCID registration number under “Existing number(s)”. By sending the LUCID registration number to Amazon, you confirm that you have a system participation agreement. As soon as the registration number has been confirmed, proof has been provided.
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