What is Changing?
The European Union has introduced new packaging regulations (Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, or PPWR) that require any business shipping products within the EU to register with each country’s waste management system and pay fees based on the packaging used.
For a small, one-person business like mine, this creates a significant burden.
What this actually means in practice:
I would need to register and pay an annual fee in each of the 27 EU member states that I might ship to.
The fees are the same whether I ship 1 package or 1,000—there is no small-business exemption.
Fees vary by country, ranging from around €50 in Italy to as much as €790 in Portugal (where I am based).
Many countries also require me to hire a paid representative based in that country just to handle the registration—including Portugal, for businesses outside the country.
For someone shipping internationally, that adds up to thousands of euros per year before I’ve sold a single product.
My Approach to Compliance
For products fulfilled through my print-on-demand partner, Printful handles the manufacturing and shipping. Making products on demand instead of in bulk helps reduce overproduction and waist. As a large-scale fulfillment service that works with many independent creators, they have the operational capacity to manage packaging compliance on their end, something I cannot replicate on my own.
What This Means for My Products
Homemade Items
My handmade products, which I create myself, will only be available for purchase in person at local markets in Porto, Portugal. I am unable to ship these items at all—even within Portugal.
The reason is straightforward: to legally ship any product in packaging within Portugal, I would need to pay the annual €790 registration fee. For a small business just starting out, this is simply not feasible. And shipping to other EU countries would require registering and paying fees (and in some cases hiring an authorized representative) in each one, multiplying the cost and complexity beyond reach.
Looking Forward
I truly wish I could offer my homemade items to a wider audience. These regulations are designed with good intentions, reducing waste is important, but the current system creates an impossible barrier for micro-businesses like mine. I hope the EU will eventually introduce simplifications for small creators.
For now, you can find me and my handmade items at local markets in Porto. I would love to meet you there.
Questions? Feel free to reach out to me. I’m happy to explain further.
