According to the regulation on littering fees, producers of single-use plastic products are required to pay a littering fee. The purpose is to finance the municipalities’ costs of cleaning up single-use plastic products that have been thrown away in nature and in public places.

On January 31, 2025, the Government presented new rules for littering fees with the aim of improving the predictability and simplifying the administration related to the fees. The new rules will, among other things, clarify which producers are affected by the product fees and extend the validity period of the regulations specifying the amount of the product fee, so that they can be used for several years instead of being determined annually.
Click here to read the government’s press release (In Swedish only)
Decided product fees 2024

Producers covered by the regulation on littering fees are therefore required to report certain packaging in quantities. The report can be made through NPA’s customer portal and must be sent in by March 24th at the latest. The product fees are charged retrospectively by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency.

 

This must be reported in numbers:

Flexible wrappers
Flexible wrappers are plastic packaging containing foodstuff, which can be easily opened and where the food can be eaten directly from the packaging without preparation.
Examples of contents in flexible wrappers that must be reported in quantities:
– Fresh fruit or vegetables, sandwiches, ice cream, cookies, nuts, dried fruit, protein bars, sweets, chocolate, crisps and dried meats.
– A bag of sweets containing 20 twisted caramels must be reported as 21 pieces.

Single-use food containers*
A food container is a single-use packaging containing fast food that can be eaten directly from the food container and does not need to be heated. A food container can be made entirely of plastic or of paper with a plastic coating. Food containers that are sold empty must also be reported in quantities.
Examples of food container contents that must be reported in quantities:
– Cold and hot food, sandwiches, wraps and salads.
– Containers containing fruit and processed foods that do not require cooking – such as fruits, vegetables and desserts, snacks and portion-packed yoghurt.

Single-use cups*
Single-use cup intended for cold and hot beverages that are usually drunk directly from the cup. The cup can be made entirely of plastic or of paper with a plastic coating. Single-use cups should be reported in both kilograms and in quantities regardless of whether they are filled at the time of sale or sold empty.

Single-use plastic lids
Single-use plastic lids made entirely or partly of plastic. The lids to be reported in quantities are:
– Seals on beverage containers that are removed before consumption and cannot be reattached.
– Lids on disposable cups that can be removed and reattached.

Plastic bottles for beverages that hold less than 0.6 liters
Larger bottles should not be reported in quantities. Packaging with a deposit are not reported through NPA, but are handled by Returpack.
Examples of contents of bottles that should be reported:
– Soft drinks, drinking yoghurt, juice, smoothies, wine and water.

Beverage containers other than plastic bottles that hold less than 0.6 liters
Beverage containers made of plastic or fiber-based packaging that have a plastic coating (e.g., beverage carton) and contains less than 0.6 liters.
Examples of contents of a beverage container that must be reported:
– Soft drinks, milk, juice, smoothies, protein shakes, and wine.

Thick and thin plastic carrier bags
The report shall state how many plastic carrier bags have a wall thinner than 15 micometers and are needed for hygienic reasons or are used for food sold in bulk. See SFS 2022:1274 Chapter 11 §2p 2 (In Swedish only)

 

* For service packaging (packaging that is filled at the time of sale), it is the companies that manufacture or import the packaging itself that have producer responsibility and thus the reporting responsibility.

 

Please note that there is also producer responsibility for balloons, wet wipes, and tobacco products with filters. These products are reported directly to the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency. Read more