LUCID number: What is it and when do I need it?
The LUCID number of the Central Agency Packaging Register is mandatory for retailers and manufacturers in Germany. Find out what the LUCID number is and what the ZSVR is all about. What is the packaging licensing requirement and which laws apply? You will find answers to your questions in our FAQ.
Definition: What is the LUCID number?
The LUCID number is the registration number at the Central Agency Packaging Register (ZSVR). In Germany, all distributors of packaging are obliged to register with the ZSVR. In addition, marketplaces such as Amazon or Ebay must request the LUCID numbers of their retailers.
The name LUCID is based on the English term "lucid" and stands for clarity and transparency. The LUCID register is intended to make it possible to trace all packaging in circulation in Germany.
Background and laws
What is the licensing requirement for packaging?
The VerpackG stipulates that initial distributors of certain packaging must be licensed in the Dual System. This applies to packaging and filling materials that end up in private households, such as sales packaging, shipping packaging, films, padding, tinned food and much more. They are considered packaging subject to system participation.
Frequently asked questions about the LUCID number
By registering with the Packaging Register, you will be assigned a registration number for your company. This is the LUCID number.
As the first or last distributor of packaging, you always need a LUCID number. This covers a wide range of categories:
- Product packaging
- Dispatch packaging
- Transport packaging
- Sales packaging
- Service packaging
- Disposable and reusable packaging
- Packaging with and without system participation obligation
You can find your LUCID number at any time in the login area of the LUCID platform. After logging in, you will find yourself in your dashboard. The "registration number" displayed there is your LUCID number. It usually consists of the country code DE and a 13-digit number.
Registration in the Central Agency's LUCID database is free of charge for you as the first or last distributor of packaging.
The LUCID packaging register aims to create transparency. This is only possible because the data is publicly accessible. In this way, customers, business partners and competitors can check in the producer register whether you fulfil your obligations under the Packaging Act and are properly registered. The following information is available:
- Name of the company
- address
- VAT ID
- LUCID registration number
- Details of the packaging
- Brand name
Click here for the manufacturer register.
The EPR number and the LUCID number are identical for packaging. You will therefore receive your EPR number from the ZSVR. An EPR number is also required for manufacturers of electrical appliances and batteries. This is regulated in the Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act (ElektroG). The Stiftung Elektro-Altgeräte-Register (EAR) is responsible for this.
Initially, the registration obligation only applied to initial distributors of sales packaging. Since the amendment to the Packaging Act in 2022, initial and final distributors of packaging that is not subject to system participation are also required to register. This means that all manufacturers and commercial sellers who sell goods in Germany must be registered in the packaging register and have a LUCID number. In addition to manufacturers, this affects importers, dropshippers, online retailers, retailers and catering businesses, for example.
Conclusion: There is no way around the LUCID number
Regardless of whether you market and package products for end consumers or transport goods in the B2B sector - LUCID registration is mandatory in Germany. By registering, you will receive a registration number or LUCID number for your company. With this number, you can register your company in a dual system in order to contribute to the proper disposal and recycling of your packaging that is subject to system participation.
At Model, we are committed to the sustainable use of our planet's resources - and we go far beyond our obligations. We pay attention to ecological materials when developing new packaging designs and are proud of our recycling cycle. Become part of our sustainable mission!
