Sweden
Sweden has run producer responsibility since the 1990s, and Swedish EPR compliance now means registering every stream with one authority, Naturvardsverket, then reporting through its e-service. Seven streams are active, and packaging rules are about to shift.
The system is mature but not static. A fresh set of 2023 ordinances rebuilt most streams, and the EU packaging regulation reshapes packaging again in 2026.
How deep the system runs
Sweden was early on several streams. Tyres have carried producer responsibility since 1994 and electronics since 2001, with packaging, vehicles and batteries all long-established alongside them.
The 2023 reforms refreshed the rulebook rather than the scope. New ordinances for packaging, electronics, vehicles and tyres came into force across 2023 and 2024, and batteries were rebased on the EU Battery Regulation from August 2025.
Fishing gear is the most recent addition, with an approved scheme mandatory since January 2025 and the first collection reports due in March 2026.
Registering with Naturvardsverket
Every active stream registers in the same place, Producentansvarsregistret, the register Naturvardsverket keeps, and reporting runs through its e-service.
You register before you place products on the market, not after. For most streams you also join or run an approved producer responsibility organisation, of which there are several for batteries alone.
Who has to comply
Producers, importers and foreign distance sellers selling to Swedish end users all count as producers.
A seller based abroad can register with Naturvardsverket directly or appoint a Sweden-based representative, a producentombud, to carry the registration and reporting.
For electrical equipment, an EU-based distance seller has to appoint one. For the other streams it is optional, though it is the usual route for anyone without a Swedish company.
What changes next
The near-term calendar centres on packaging and textiles:
- 12 August 2026: PPWR applies, changing many Swedish packaging rules, with new national provisions in progress.
- Textiles: Naturvardsverket was tasked in December 2025 to design a scheme, with proposals due in late 2026 and a system expected by 2028.
The single-use plastics litter fees are partly contested. The 2025 annual fees are published, but the fee-year 2024 product fees are under court appeal, so those amounts are not settled.
Frequently asked questions about EPR in Sweden
Brief answers to the questions sellers ask most.
What is EPR in Sweden?
Producer responsibility across seven streams, all registered with Naturvardsverket and, for most of them, fulfilled by joining approved producer responsibility organisations for collection and recycling.
What is the Swedish EPR register?
Producentansvarsregistret, kept by Naturvardsverket, where producers register before selling and report through the agency e-service.
Do foreign sellers need a Swedish representative?
Not always. A foreign seller can register with Naturvardsverket directly or appoint a Sweden-based producentombud to hold the registration and reporting. For electrical equipment, an EU-based distance seller has to appoint one.
Does Sweden have textile EPR yet?
Not yet. Naturvardsverket is designing the scheme on a December 2025 mandate, with a system expected around 2028 under the revised EU waste directive.
What changes for packaging in 2026?
The EU packaging regulation PPWR applies from 12 August 2026, changing several Swedish packaging rules, with new national provisions being prepared to sit alongside it.