Does an online store have to be registered in the BDO database?
BDO is a register kept under Poland's Waste Act. Mail-order stores fall in scope not because of the goods but because of the transport packaging they ship them in.
Short answer
- A store shipping goods in cartons places packaged products on the market and must be entered in BDO.
- Transport packaging counts: carton, film, tape, void fill.
- The annual packaging report is filed electronically by 15 March for the previous year.
- The store must also meet recycling targets or pay the product fee.
- A store introducing small volumes may use de minimis aid after filing the relevant documents.
Duties on a calendar
The annual BDO cycle
| Duty | Deadline | Form |
|---|---|---|
| Registry entry | Before the first packaged shipment | Electronic application in the BDO system |
| Annual fee | By the end of February | Transfer; rate depends on company size |
| Packaging report | By 15 March for the previous year | Electronic only |
| Packaging weight records | Ongoing | Kilograms by material type |
A real example
Example: a bookstore ships 600 parcels a month in ~120 g cartons, plus tape and bubble wrap. That is roughly 75 kg of cardboard a month, near 900 kg a year — reportable split by paper, plastic and other materials. A store that does not track this monthly ends up reconstructing it from packaging invoices in March.
Common mistakes
- Assuming BDO applies only to manufacturers, not to mail-order stores.
- Omitting tape, film and void fill from packaging weight.
- Filing the report without first obtaining a registry entry.
- Missing de minimis paperwork despite qualifying by volume.
How 4shopy helps
- Each product can carry a shipping-packaging type and weight.
- A shipment report totals packaging weight for any period, split by material.
- Output comes in a format that transfers straight into the BDO report.
- Packaging changes are versioned, so the yearly history stays consistent.