PPWR EU UPDATE

We wanted to update you on an important change that affects orders being shipped to the European Union.

Yesterday, we shared on our social media channels that we would be temporarily pausing EU shipping while we reviewed the new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which came into effect on 12 August 2026. After spending the last 24 hours further researching the new requirements and speaking with our compliance representatives, we’ve made the incredibly difficult decision that we will no longer be shipping directly to EU countries for the foreseeable future.

This is not a decision we’ve taken lightly.

For those wondering why we can’t  absorb these changes, we’d like to offer a little more insight into what this means for a small independent business like ours.

To continue shipping to every EU country, we would  need to register for packaging compliance across multiple jurisdictions, appoint authorised representatives where required, pay annual compliance fees, and manage regular reporting and administration for every country we sell into.

The estimated annual cost of doing this runs into tens of thousands of pounds each year, before taking into account the significant amount of staff time needed to manage the ongoing compliance. As a small team, this sadly isn’t something we’re able to absorb.

Although this legislation was first announced in 2024,  the responsibility for compliance has recently shifted much more heavily towards sellers, leaving many small businesses trying to navigate complex new requirements. While we do support the environmental aims behind the legislation, the way these changes have been introduced has had a significant impact on small businesses like ours.

Our team is passionate about creating  books and providing the  best possible experience for our readers. Yet, unfortunately, the ongoing financial and administrative burden of these new requirements means that, for now, continuing to ship directly to the EU is simply no longer sustainable for us.

What does this mean for existing orders?

Current pre-orders

If you’ve ordered any of the following titles, your order will ship as planned:

However, Red City and When Among Crows are not yet ready to dispatch. If you have ordered either of these titles, and your shipping address is within an affected EU country, we’ll need an alternative delivery address outside of the EU in order to fulfil your order.

If you’re able to provide a friend, family member, parcel forwarding service, or another address outside of the EU, please email us with the new delivery details by the 28th of August 2026.

If we don’t receive an alternative address by this date, we’ll unfortunately have to cancel and refund your order.

Subscription customers

If you’re one of our subscribers based in an affected EU country, we’d love for you to be able to continue your subscription with us.

If you have an alternative delivery address outside of the EU, please send it to us by the 28th of August 2026, and we’ll happily update your subscription.

If we don’t hear from you by this date, we’ll sadly have to cancel your subscription, as we won’t be able to dispatch future boxes to your current address.

We know this news will be disappointing, and we’re truly so sorry. Our European community has always been such a valued part of Page & Wick, and this isn’t an outcome we ever wanted.

We’ll be keeping a close eye on any future changes to the legislation, along with any guidance or potential exemptions that may become available for small businesses. If the situation changes and a practical solution becomes available, reopening EU shipping will be one of our highest priorities.

We sincerely hope these requirements are reconsidered for small independent businesses in the future. Nothing would make us happier than being able to welcome our EU readers back without these barriers in place.

Thank you for your patience, understanding, and continued support. Independent businesses like ours rely on readers like you, and we’re incredibly grateful to have you as part of our community.

If you have any questions about your order or subscription, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us using the ‘Contact Us’ button below.

With love,

The Page & Wick Team