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    Eco-modulation simulator

    Set a base fee, then toggle the design attributes that schemes reward or penalise. The simulator shows how a single component decision, such as a sleeve material or a pigment, moves the annual fee for the same tonnage.

    Penalty triggers

    • Defeats near-infrared sorting, so the pack is sent to residue.

    • Contaminates PET and polyolefin streams.

    • Masks the container from optical sorters.

    • Cannot be sorted into any single material stream.

    • Survives repulping and downgrades fibre quality.

    Bonus qualifiers

    • Requires supplier certification to survive audit.

    • Single material family sorts reliably.

    • Reduces both tonnage and rate.

    • Needs an actual return and cleaning loop, not just a durable pack.

    Base fee €9,600 · penalties +0% · bonuses 0%

    Modulated fee: €9,600

    Difference against the base fee: €0 more per year.

    Indicative only. Scheme rates change annually and classifications vary by jurisdiction, so use this for planning rather than for filing.

    How eco-modulation is applied

    Eco-modulation turns a flat per-tonne charge into a price signal. Packaging that sorts and recycles cleanly pays less; packaging that disrupts the recovery system pays a penalty, which in the most aggressive schedules can exceed the base fee itself.

    Why it is modelled per component

    Modulation attaches to design attributes, not to SKUs. A PET bottle may be rewarded while the PVC sleeve on the same bottle triggers a penalty that swamps the bonus. Companies working from SKU-level weights cannot see that, which is why component-level packaging data is the prerequisite for any credible fee model.

    What the percentages represent

    • Indicative adjustments drawn from the shape of published European schedules. Actual bonus and penalty values are set per scheme and revised on the scheme's own cycle.
    • Bonuses are capped, so stacking improvements has diminishing returns. This simulator caps combined bonuses at 40 percent.
    • Penalties generally are not capped, and several can apply to the same pack at once.

    For published per-tonne base rates, see the EU PRO fee schedule, and for total fee estimates use the EPR fee calculator.

    Questions about this calculator

    No. They are indicative values reflecting the structure of European modulation schedules. Each scheme publishes its own percentages and revises them, often annually.

    Schemes cap bonuses so the system stays funded, while penalties are designed to price the real cost of handling disruptive packaging, which can exceed the base rate.

    Removing a penalty trigger, typically a dark pigment, PVC component or full-body sleeve. Penalty removal is usually worth more than adding another bonus that hits the cap.

    Yes. Recycled content and reuse bonuses require certification and system evidence. Refused bonuses are normally recovered retrospectively, often with interest.

    Related resources

    Run this on your real portfolio

    Packgine calculates fees from your actual component-level packaging data across every market you sell into.