Due to new EU packaging and producer-responsibility requirements, we are temporarily shipping within the Netherlands only while we review the requirements for each European market. We hope to reopen selected international destinations in the future once the necessary registrations and compliance arrangements are in place. Thank you for your patience while we make these updates.
Shipping Update: Why We’re Temporarily Shipping Within the Netherlands Only
From 12 August 2026, the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, known as PPWR, begins to apply across the European Union.
The purpose of the regulation is positive: to reduce packaging waste, improve recyclability, and make businesses more responsible for the packaging they place on the market.
However, for micro and small businesses selling across European borders, the new system can also create significant administrative and financial challenges.
What is PPWR?
PPWR stands for Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation.
It introduces new requirements concerning packaging design, recyclability, minimisation, documentation, and producer responsibility.
Even businesses using very small amounts of packaging need to understand how these rules apply to them.
What is EPR?
EPR stands for Extended Producer Responsibility.
In simple terms, businesses that place packaged products on a market may be responsible for helping finance the collection, sorting, and recycling of that packaging.
For businesses selling across Europe, this can mean having to deal with the packaging system of the country where the customer is located.
Depending on the country, this may involve:
- registering as a packaging producer;
- obtaining a producer or EPR registration number;
- reporting the amount and type of packaging placed on that market;
- paying recycling or EPR contributions;
- complying with national reporting requirements;
- and, in certain situations, appointing an authorised representative.
Why is this difficult for a small business?
The main problem is not necessarily the amount of packaging we use.
A small handmade business may send only a few cardboard boxes and mailers into another country each year.
The difficulty is that the administrative costs do not always decrease simply because the business is small.
Selling into several European countries can potentially mean several registrations, different reporting systems, different organisations, annual fees and additional compliance services.
For a large company sending thousands of orders every day, these costs can be spread across a huge number of sales.
For a micro-business selling handmade products, the same fixed costs can have a much greater impact.
Why isn’t there just one EU registration?
This is one of the biggest challenges for small cross-border sellers.
Although PPWR is an EU regulation, packaging EPR is still connected to national systems.
This means businesses cannot simply complete one registration, pay one European fee, and automatically be covered throughout the entire EU.
Different countries can have different procedures, thresholds, organisations, reporting requirements and costs.
Why are we temporarily shipping within the Netherlands only?
Our business is established in the Netherlands.
For now, we have made the decision to temporarily limit online shipping to customers within the Netherlands while we review the requirements for other countries individually.
This allows us to continue operating while making sure that any future international shipping is compliant and financially sustainable.
This decision is not necessarily permanent.
We hope to gradually reopen selected European and international destinations once we understand the requirements and can manage them responsibly without creating unreasonable additional costs for our customers or our small business.
Why this matters to micro-businesses
Many small and independent businesses are currently facing the same questions.
For a micro-business, cross-border compliance can become a significant expense before even considering:
- product materials;
- handmade labour;
- packaging;
- Shopify and app fees;
- payment processing;
- shipping;
- insurance;
- taxes;
- and other normal business expenses.
This is why many small businesses are asking for a simpler and more proportionate EPR system, including realistic small-business thresholds and easier cross-border registration.
Support the petition
A petition has been created asking for fairer treatment of micro and small businesses under cross-border EPR requirements.
If you would like to support independent businesses affected by these changes, you can sign the petition here: https://c.org/LtVdz8xk6x
Thank you
We hope to reopen selected international destinations in the future.