Latvia
Latvia gives producers a choice the rest of Europe rarely offers so plainly. Latvian EPR compliance means either paying the Natural Resources Tax to the state or joining a licensed scheme for a full exemption, across nine active streams.
That choice sits at the centre of the system. Pay the tax per kilogram, or hand the recovery duty to a scheme and pay nothing to the state.
The tax or the scheme
Latvia treats most producer duties as an environmental tax that a scheme can lift.
First placers of packaging, tyres, oils and other listed goods pay the Natural Resources Tax per kilogram, or get a 100 percent exemption by joining a licensed scheme. Almost everyone takes the exemption route.
The exemption is the practical answer for any real volume. The tax exists mainly to make joining a scheme the obvious choice.
What carries EPR in Latvia
Nine streams are active: packaging, electronics, batteries, vehicles, tyres, oils, single-use plastics, fishing gear and textiles.
Textiles stand out. Latvia introduced textile EPR in July 2024, ahead of the EU requirement, with the same tax-or-scheme choice and online sellers explicitly included.
Where you register
Only electronics and batteries have a central register, Elektroregistrs, where producers must be entered before placing goods on the market.
For packaging, tyres, oils, single-use plastics and textiles there is no central producer register. Compliance runs through tax declarations to the revenue service or a contract with a licensed producer responsibility organisation.
The deposit system
Beverage containers carry a deposit, live since February 2022, run separately from the tax-or-scheme model.
The deposit handles the return and recovery of the container. Producers in the deposit system are exempt from the packaging tax on those beverage containers, so the deposit replaces the tax-or-scheme duty rather than adding to it.
Who has to comply
Producers, importers and distance sellers selling into the Latvian market are covered, and for textiles online sellers are named directly.
Electronics and batteries carry a clear registration and authorised representative route, while other streams are handled through the tax or a scheme contract.
What changes next
Latvia has less ahead than most, because textiles are already in force. The one dated change is the EU packaging regulation PPWR, which applies directly from 12 August 2026.
Frequently asked questions about EPR in Latvia
The common questions, answered.
What is EPR in Latvia?
Producer responsibility across nine active streams, run on a Natural Resources Tax that a licensed scheme can fully exempt, with electronics and batteries also on a central register.
How does the tax-or-scheme model work?
You either pay the Natural Resources Tax per kilogram on listed goods, or join a licensed scheme for a 100 percent exemption. Most producers take the exemption.
Does Latvia have textile EPR?
Yes, since July 2024, ahead of the EU. It uses the same tax-or-scheme choice and explicitly includes online sellers.
What is the Latvian EPR register?
Only electronics and batteries have a central register, Elektroregistrs. Other streams are handled through tax declarations or a scheme contract.
Is the deposit the same as packaging EPR?
No. The beverage deposit, live since 2022, is a separate return system. Joining it exempts those beverage containers from the packaging tax, so the deposit replaces the packaging duty for them rather than stacking on top.