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International Review of Waste Management Policy - Department of ...

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14.0 Producer Responsibility, Packaging -<br />

Germany<br />

14.1 Outline <strong>of</strong> <strong>Policy</strong><br />

The first Packaging Ordinance, 1990, introduced a new mechanism – the take-back<br />

obligation in the packaging chain and in specific cases an obligatory deposit. It was<br />

not intended to realise this take-back obligation in the sales outlets themselves since<br />

this approach is costly, and hence, unpopular with retailers. Instead it was agreed<br />

upon in advance to install a “dual waste management system” for packaging waste<br />

parallel to the rest <strong>of</strong> municipal waste management system (the Duales System<br />

Deutschland GmbH - DSD). Participation in this system exempts the retailers from the<br />

take-back obligation as long as the system fulfils specific conditions (countrywide<br />

operation, kerbside collection, meeting recycling targets).<br />

The German Packaging Ordinance requires that no later than 31 December 2008, the<br />

annual share <strong>of</strong> all packaging waste being recovered shall be at least 65 percent by<br />

weight and the share being recycled (st<strong>of</strong>fliche Verwertung) shall be at least 55<br />

percent by weight. The recycling targets for the different materials contained in all<br />

packaging shall be 15 percent by weight for wood, 22.5 for plastics, counting<br />

exclusively material that is recycled back into plastics (either bottle to bottle or into<br />

other materials such as wood substitute for furniture), 50 for metals and 60 for glass,<br />

paper and board (Art. 1 para 3 Packaging Ordinance).<br />

For the recycling (st<strong>of</strong>fliche Verwertung) <strong>of</strong> sales packaging arising at private<br />

households the German Packaging Ordinance sets targets for manufacturers and<br />

distributors participating in a dual system and these are shown in Table 14-1 (see Art.<br />

6 para 3 and Annex I Packaging Ordinance).<br />

Table 14-1: Recycling Targets for Sales Packaging According to German Packaging<br />

Ordinance<br />

253<br />

Materi Material Materi Materi al<br />

<strong>International</strong> <strong>Review</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Waste</strong> <strong>Policy</strong>: Annexes<br />

Packaging Packaging in in percent percent by by weight weight to to be be recycled recycled<br />

recycled<br />

on on average average per per year<br />

year<br />

Glass 75%<br />

Tinplate 70%<br />

Aluminium 60%<br />

Paper, cardboard 70%<br />

Composites 60%<br />

Formerly the Packaging Ordinance had no individual responsibility mechanisms<br />

forcing an individual retailer, producer or filler to meet their obligations. It was<br />

sufficient that they <strong>of</strong>fered the take-back to customers even if the take-back <strong>of</strong>fer was<br />

just theoretical as far as its practical use was concerned. The enforcement<br />

mechanism was a collective one that inevitably produced free riders.

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