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Packaging obligations in Spain (2026)

Draft

Verified on: 2026-09-01

EU framework: PPWR (EU) 2025/40, applicable since 12 Aug 2026

National: Ley 7/2022 (Waste and Circular Economy Act) and Real Decreto 1055/2022 on packaging and packaging waste (RDERE). RD 1055/2022 continues to apply insofar as it is compatible with the PPWR; a new packaging Real Decreto adapting Spanish law to the PPWR is being drafted (as of Sep 2026). Responsible authority: MITECO.

Spain has three packaging categories (envases domésticos, comerciales, industriales – household, commercial, industrial) with separate obligations: (1) registration of ALL product producers in the Registro de Productores de Producto – Sección envases (no volume threshold; the register number must appear on invoices), (2) financial producer responsibility via SCRAPs (approved collective schemes) or individual schemes – established for household packaging, mandatory for commercial/industrial packaging since 1 Jan 2025. Marketplaces are subsidiarily liable for unregistered foreign distance sellers. The Spanish plastic tax (Impuesto especial sobre los envases de plástico no reutilizables, Ley 7/2022) is a separate tax topic and not covered here.

Packaging EPR: registration in the Registro de Productores de Producto (Spain)

Anyone first making packaged goods available on the Spanish market – with no volume threshold – must be entered in the Sección de envases of the Registro de Productores de Producto (RPP) at MITECO before placing goods on the market, report the packaging volumes annually and state the assigned register number (format ENV/year/9-digit number) on invoices and business documents.

Authorised representative: 
Producers without an establishment in Spain (including from the EU) must appoint a Representante autorizado (authorised representative) in Spain under Art. 17.2 RD 1055/2022; this representative enters the producer in the RPP and takes over the annual declarations (Art. 15, 16). Since 12 Aug 2026, Art. 45 PPWR additionally requires an authorised representative for distance selling into Member States without an establishment. According to MITECO, SCRAPs can also take on this role via a written mandate through the electronic register of powers of attorney (Registro Electrónico de Apoderamientos).
Cross-border: 
If a foreign seller does not appoint a Representante autorizado, the obligation passes subsidiarily to the first distributor/dealer established in Spain. For direct sales via an external marketplace, the e-commerce platform must subsidiarily take on the unregistered foreign seller (registration + simplified annual declaration) – official MITECO FAQ. In practice, platforms therefore demand the Spanish RPP number. The foreign producer's register number must appear on invoices.
Deadlines: 
Registration before first placing goods on the Spanish market. Annual declaration each year from 2 Jan to 31 Mar for the previous year (2026 volumes: filing window 2 Jan – 31 Mar 2027).

Typical steps

  1. Classify your packaging according to the Spanish categories: doméstico (ending up in private households, including shipping packaging), comercial, industrial.
  2. Without an establishment in Spain: appoint a Representante autorizado in writing (Art. 17.2 RD 1055/2022) – or clarify whether your chosen SCRAP will handle the registration under a power of attorney.
  3. Complete the registration in the Sección envases of the RPP via MITECO's Sede Electrónica (attach proof of SCRAP membership).
  4. Add the assigned register number (ENV/…) to invoices and business documents and store it with marketplaces.
  5. Submit the annual volume declaration for the previous year in the 2 Jan – 31 Mar window; below 15 tonnes per year, use the simplified declaration (declaración simplificada).

Sources: MITECO – Registro de Productores de Producto, Sección envases (Registrierung, Fristen, Registernummer, Vollmachten) (accessed 2026-09-01) · MITECO – Technisches FAQ-Dokument zur Sección envases (Representante autorizado Art. 17.2, Subsidiärhaftung Distributeur/Marktplatz, vereinfachte Meldung < 15 t) (accessed 2026-09-01) · BOE – Real Decreto 1055/2022 de envases y residuos de envases (accessed 2026-09-01) · RETEMA – PPWR ab 12.08.2026: Was ändert sich in Spanien (Fortgeltung RD 1055/2022, neues RD in Arbeit) (accessed 2026-09-01)

Packaging EPR for household packaging: joining a SCRAP (Spain)

Anyone selling packaged goods to Spanish private customers must fulfil the extended producer responsibility for household packaging (envases domésticos, including shipping packaging in online retail) via an approved collective scheme (SCRAP) or an individual scheme and pay contributions based on material and volume.

Authorised representative: 
As with the registration obligation: without an establishment in Spain, a Representante autorizado must be appointed under Art. 17.2 RD 1055/2022; in addition, the PPWR authorised-representative requirement (Art. 45) has applied since 12 Aug 2026. The SCRAP membership itself can be concluded directly by the foreign company.
Cross-border: 
Foreign online sellers selling directly to Spanish end consumers count as product producers and must license their household packaging via a SCRAP. For lightweight packaging and paper/cardboard, Ecoembes is the established scheme; for glass it is Ecovidrio (the only SCRAP specialising in glass).
Costs: 
SCRAP contributions (tarifas) based on material and weight; the schemes' tariffs (e.g. Ecoembes) are publicly available.
Deadlines: 
Join a SCRAP before placing goods on the market (the proof is needed for the RPP registration); volume reporting according to the rules of the respective scheme.

Typical steps

  1. Conclude a membership agreement with the appropriate SCRAP: Ecoembes (lightweight packaging, paper/cardboard) and/or Ecovidrio (glass).
  2. Report annual volumes by material to the SCRAP and pay contributions according to the published tariff.
  3. Keep the SCRAP membership certificate (certificado de adhesión) ready for the RPP registration and for marketplaces.
  4. Check that shipping packaging is correctly classified as envase doméstico (it ends up in private households).

Providers for this obligation

Ecoembes (Ecoembalajes España, S.A.)Ecovidrio

Sources: MITECO – Sección envases (SCRAP-Beitrittsnachweis als Teil der Registrierung) (accessed 2026-09-01) · Ecoembes Empresas – Registro de Productores de Producto und SCRAP-Pflichten (accessed 2026-09-01) · Ecovidrio (Hablando en Vidrio) – SCRAP für Haushaltsglasverpackungen (accessed 2026-09-01) · BOE – Real Decreto 1055/2022 (RAP-Pflichten für Haushaltsverpackungen) (accessed 2026-09-01)

Packaging EPR for commercial and industrial packaging (Spain)

Since 1 Jan 2025, extended producer responsibility has also applied to commercial and industrial packaging (envases comerciales e industriales). Affected parties placing such packaging on the market must join an approved SCRAP (e.g. Envalora, Ecoembes Comerciales) or set up an individual scheme and finance the disposal of this packaging.

Authorised representative: 
As with the other Spanish packaging obligations: a Representante autorizado under Art. 17.2 RD 1055/2022 for producers without an establishment in Spain; PPWR authorised-representative requirement (Art. 45) since 12 Aug 2026.
Cross-border: 
Also applies to foreign sellers delivering transport, secondary or B2B sales packaging to Spanish business customers. Envalora is the first SCRAP with definitive approval for single-use and reusable industrial/commercial packaging; Ecoembes covers commercial packaging via Ecoembes Comerciales and cooperates with further SCRAPs for industrial packaging (including Envalora, Genci, Implica).
Costs: 
Contributions based on material and volume according to the SCRAPs' published tariffs.
Deadlines: 
EPR obligation for commercial and industrial packaging effective since 1 Jan 2025; join before placing goods on the market.

Typical steps

  1. Determine which of your packaging ends up with commercial end users in Spain (transport, secondary and B2B sales packaging).
  2. Choose the responsible SCRAP and complete the membership (e.g. Envalora or Ecoembes Comerciales), or consider an individual scheme (SIRAP).
  3. Structure volume and material data for the reports to the SCRAP and the RPP.
  4. Keep the membership certificate ready for the RPP registration.

Providers for this obligation

EnvaloraEcoembes (Ecoembalajes España, S.A.)

Sources: Envalora – Endgültige Zulassung als SCRAP für Industrie- und Gewerbeverpackungen (Betrieb ab 01.01.2025) (accessed 2026-09-01) · Ecoembes – Zulassung von Ecoembes Comerciales ab 01.01.2025 (Beginn der RAP für Gewerbeverpackungen) (accessed 2026-09-01) · Residuos Profesional – Ecoembes-Kooperationen mit Industrie-SCRAPs (Envalora, Genci, Implica u. a.) (accessed 2026-09-01) · BOE – Real Decreto 1055/2022 (RAP comercial/industrial) (accessed 2026-09-01)

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Legal information, not legal advice. The linked official sources prevail; data marked “draft” has not been finally verified.