From 12 August 2026, environmental compliance becomes operational on Amazon Italy
From 12 August 2026, environmental compliance has become even more relevant for companies selling packaged products through Amazon.
The new European Regulation on packaging and packaging waste, known as the PPWR (Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation), has become applicable in the European Union.
For many sellers, this means dealing directly with another acronym that is now increasingly present in Seller Central: EPR, Extended Producer Responsibility.
This is not a formal update. Failure to manage the obligations can ultimately have consequences for the continuity of Amazon offers.
What the PPWR is
EU Regulation 2025/40 introduces a more uniform European framework for the management of packaging and packaging waste.
The regulation entered into force on 11 February 2025 and is applicable from 12 August 2026.
The policy objectives include reducing packaging waste, improving recyclability, making entities that place packaging on the market more accountable, and progressively harmonizing obligations across Member States.
For operators on international marketplaces like Amazon, this becomes particularly sensitive because cross-border selling can trigger different obligations depending on the countries in which the product is marketed.
What EPR is
EPR stands for Extended Producer Responsibility. The principle is relatively simple: whoever places certain products or packaging on the market must also contribute to managing their end of life.
However, the concept of “producer” does not necessarily coincide with the entity that physically manufactures the product. Depending on the law and the commercial setup, the responsible party can be the company that first places a given product or packaging on a specific market.
For that reason, one of the first mistakes to avoid is thinking: “I’m just a reseller, so EPR doesn’t apply to me.” Proper responsibility assignment must be assessed based on the supply chain and the destination market.
What Amazon is asking Italian sellers to provide
In communications published through Seller Central, Amazon indicated that from 12 August 2026 the new EPR requirements also apply to sellers of packaging and packaged products in Italy.
Amazon requires impacted parties to provide an EPR registration number, or ERN, within Seller Central.
The platform also stated that missing the required information may lead to consequences for the ability to continue selling certain offers. This makes compliance not only an administrative topic, but a true Amazon operational topic.
What the Amazon ERN is
ERN stands for EPR Registration Number. It is the number through which Amazon can verify that the relevant party has completed the required registration for a given EPR category.
Within Seller Central, management can be handled through the sections dedicated to regulatory compliance and Extended Producer Responsibility.
However, it is important to understand one principle: entering a number in Seller Central does not automatically mean you are compliant. Compliance comes from correctly fulfilling the obligations under the applicable law. Amazon is the marketplace that validates certain information needed to allow sales.
Sellers, resellers, and private label: who must register?
This is probably one of the most sensitive points. The answer cannot be determined simply by looking at who sells the product on Amazon. You need to reconstruct the supply chain.
Brand owners and private label: a company that sells products under its own brand and directly places packaging on the market can easily end up being the responsible party.
Reseller: a reseller that purchases products already correctly placed on the market may be in a different situation. But if it sells cross-border or introduces the product for the first time in a given State, the analysis can change.
Contract manufacturer: a company may physically manufacture a product without necessarily being the party that commercially places it on the market under its own brand.
That is why it is essential to distinguish between physical manufacturing, brand ownership, importing, distribution, and first placing on the market.
What a non-compliant seller risks
From Amazon’s perspective, the most visible risk is operational. The platform’s communications indicated the possibility of suspensions or offer limitations if the required EPR information is not provided.
But the risk is not limited to Amazon. Environmental regulation is independent of the marketplace. Being technically allowed to sell on Amazon does not necessarily mean being compliant from a legal standpoint.
An EPR checklist for selling on Amazon
Practically, EPR management requires a structured approach: map markets, supply chain, and impacted categories, then build a recurring (not “one-off”) process for registration, declarations, and fees.
- Verify which countries you actually sell in.
- Understand who first places the product or packaging on the market.
- Identify which EPR categories affect the products.
- Check whether specific registrations are required.
- Confirm the required ERNs have been uploaded correctly in Seller Central.
- Set up a process for periodic declarations and contributions.
Amazon compliance: from an administrative issue to a business issue
In recent years, Amazon has progressively embedded checks in Seller Central related to GPSR, EPR, batteries, product safety, and economic operator responsibilities.
For brands, this fundamentally changes what marketplace management means. It is no longer enough to focus on advertising, catalog, pricing, and logistics.
Marketplace compliance is becoming an integral part of Amazon management. A product can have strong demand, an excellent conversion rate, and profitable advertising campaigns. But if the regulatory structure that enables its sale is not managed correctly, everything else becomes secondary.
For this reason, in 2026, compliance and marketplace operations must be treated as part of the same Amazon strategy.