UPV - Extended Producer Responsibility

UPV stands for Extended Producer Responsibility. This is an environmental measure that makes producers responsible for the entire life cycle of their items, including the waste phase. By producer, we mean the party that first places an item on the market in the Netherlands and/or Belgium. This can therefore also concern you as a partner when you first place items on the market.

Companies that offer items on the Belgian or Dutch market must contribute to the financing and organization of the collection, environmentally friendly processing, and recycling of these items at the end of their lifespan.

The goal of UPV is to reduce the environmental impact of items by minimizing waste, encouraging recycling, and placing the costs of waste management on the producer.

Partners may only sell via bol in Belgium and the Netherlands if they comply with the applicable UPV regulations. If partners do not comply, bol is legally obliged to take the relevant product range offline. Bol will also enforce this in the future.

In Belgium and the Netherlands, companies that place certain categories of items on the market must comply with UPV regulations. For partners of bol, this means they must join a management company that collectively organizes and facilitates UPV, and pay a financial contribution for this.

As a producer, you join the management company by signing an accession agreement. The tables on this page show which items and parts of items this applies to. Please note that the obligation may also apply to other categories not mentioned.

More information can be found on the websites of the management companies.

Please note: the lists above are not exhaustive. As a partner, you are responsible for complying with the levies that apply to your product range. Seek advice on this if you need it.

If you produce, import, or sell items within these categories, you must comply with UPV by joining an accredited management company. You can also choose to individually ensure environmentally friendly processing of your items. In that case, you must submit an individual acceptance obligation plan to OVAM for items you first place on the market in Belgium. In this plan, you explain how you organize collection, processing, and prevention measures. You also report annually on the implementation of the plan. More information can be found on this page.

Then pay close attention.
Are you a company based outside Belgium and selling items to Belgian consumers or businesses, for example via bol? Then you may need to appoint an authorized representative in Belgium. An authorized representative is a person or organization in Belgium that takes over your legal responsibilities. The responsibilities are the same as those of a Belgian producer.

Important: you must officially appoint this authorized representative via a written power of attorney before offering items in Belgium.

Some management companies can act as authorized representatives themselves. In that case, as a non-Belgian partner, you enter into a direct contract with them to ensure you meet all obligations. Please note: management companies are not obliged to do this, so always discuss this in advance.

For more information, you can contact the management companies or OVAM.

Soon, bol will also enforce compliance with UPV obligations for selling partners within certain product categories. Bol is legally obliged to refuse selling rights to partners who fall under the UPV scheme and do not make a contribution. In the Netherlands, this obligation applies to batteries, and is expected to apply to other product categories in due course. In Belgium, this obligation applies to all categories.

Do you sell items within the UPV categories? Then you must do the following to continue selling:

• Apply for selling rights, or
• Register with the management organizations.

More information about applying for selling rights can be found on this page.