EU Packaging Rules Push Small Tabletop RPG Publishers Out of the Market
PPWR lands another blow to an precarious tabletop industry
The EU's new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) is forcing small tabletop RPG publishers to stop shipping to EU countries. Designers like Josh Fox of Black Armada and Jason Pitre of Genesis of Legend Publishing cite complex, country-specific fees and compliance costs as prohibitive. Some have halted sales entirely, while others face losing a significant share of revenue. The regulation, effective August 12, replaces the 1994 directive and adds to existing challenges like tariffs and the GPSR, leaving the industry in a precarious state.
Taken together, this directly impacts two thirds of my customers. The business of making physical products seems increasingly difficult to justify.