If you have tried to order our products from another European country and found that your country is not on the list, we apologize. This is not a mistake and not due to our unwillingness. We want to explain what happened, as we believe you have the right to know.
What changed from August 12th
From August 12, 2026, the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (EU) 2025/40 came into effect across the entire European Union. Its core idea is entirely correct: the seller must cover the costs of collecting and recycling the packaging they place on the market. We agree with this without any reservations. Packaging is our responsibility, not the buyer's.
The problem is not with the principle, but with the implementation.
Although the regulation is common to the entire EU, the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) systems remained strictly national. In practice, this means that to send a single jar of cream to a buyer in another EU country, one needs to:
- register separately in the packaging register in that country,
- pay registration and annual minimum fees,
- regularly submit reports in the country's language,
- in many countries, also hire a local authorized representative, as we do not have a physical presence there.
And all this must be done separately in each country. All twenty-seven of them.
Why this is particularly painful for small businesses
The regulation does not foresee any exceptions based on turnover. The same obligations apply to an international corporation sending a million shipments and to a two-person team sending ten per year.
Business press estimates that the compliance costs for one country can amount to several hundred euros per year, and if all 27 countries are handled, the annual administrative bill could approach a five-figure sum. This does not include the packaging fees themselves and the time that a small team simply does not have.
Therefore, in recent weeks, small European brands, artists, and artisans have been announcing one after another that they are stopping shipments to EU countries. A petition to the European Commission, asking for a "de minimis" threshold for the smallest businesses and the creation of a one-stop shop system, has already been signed by more than 38,000 people.
It sounds absurd, but for many small creators today, it is simpler to send a parcel to Australia than to a neighboring EU country.
What we decided
It was important for us not to pretend. We could have quietly left all countries in the cart and hoped no one would notice. We decided otherwise: we only ship where we have honestly and fully complied with packaging obligations.
Today, these are Lithuania and Poland.
- In Lithuania, delivery takes 3-5 business days, free for orders over €40.
- In Poland, delivery takes 3-5 business days, free for orders over 150 PLN to a parcel locker.
- Orders are dispatched within 1-2 business days.
At the same time, we are reviewing the packaging itself. From August 12, each package requires technical documentation and a declaration of conformity, confirming that it meets sustainability and labeling requirements. For us, this is not just an obligation but also an opportunity to once again review what and how much we package.
If you live in another country
We are not disappearing. We are registering gradually, starting with the markets where most people are waiting for our products.
If you want our products and live in another EU country, please write to us at hello@alaushu.com. We count every such letter and use it to decide which country will be next. Subscribers to our newsletter will be the first to know about each new country.
