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German street bins for recycling with colourful lids for non-recyclable waste, paper, aluminium and plastic.

Germany and EPR for Packaging: A Model for Sustainable Waste Management

Germany has established itself as a leader in waste management, and a key driver of this success is its pioneering Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programme for packaging. Implemented in the early 1990s, this system continues to be refined and serves as a model for other countries looking to reduce waste and promote recycling. 

The Packaging Act: Setting the Stage for Success

The foundation of Germany’s EPR programme is the Packaging Act (Verpackungsgesetz), introduced in 1991 and most recently updated in 2019. This legislation assigns responsibility for the entire lifecycle of packaging to producers, who must: 

  • Register with the Central Packaging Register: This ensures all packaging waste is accounted for and facilitates monitoring of compliance. 
  • Join a Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO): PROs are licensed by the government to operate collection and recycling schemes for various packaging materials. Germany boasts a competitive market with several PROs, fostering innovation and efficiency. 
  • The Green Dot (“Grüner Punkt“) System: Producers who comply with the EPR policy and contribute financially to a PRO can display the Green Dot symbol on their packaging. This signifies their participation in the recycling system and helps consumers identify responsibly packaged products. 

Impressive Results: High Recycling Rates and Reduced Landfill Waste

The German approach has yielded impressive results. According to the German Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt), Germany achieved a remarkable 90.3% recycling rate for packaging waste in 2022. This significantly surpasses the current EU target of 65% for 2025. Furthermore, data from Eurostat indicates that Germany landfilled only 1% of its municipal waste in 2022, compared to the EU average of 24%. This significant reduction in landfilling demonstrates the environmental benefits of the policy (Eurostat). 

Factors Contributing to Success

Several key factors have underpinned the success of the German packaging EPR programme: 

  • Robust Legislation: The comprehensive Packaging Act sets clear recycling targets, defines the responsibilities of producers and PROs, and ensures transparency throughout the system. 
  • Competition among PROs: The market with multiple PROs drives innovation and cost-efficiency in collection and sorting systems. PROs are constantly seeking ways to improve recycling processes and customer service. 
  • Public Education: Extensive public education campaigns have been crucial in raising awareness about waste sorting and proper recycling practices among German citizens. These campaigns have fostered a strong culture of environmental responsibility amongst the population. 

Looking Forward: Adapting to New Challenges

The German packaging EPR programme continues to evolve to address emerging challenges. New legislation focuses on: 

  • Promoting Design for Recycling: The Packaging Act, via modulated fees, incentivises producers to design packaging that is easier to recycle and incorporates recycled content. 
  • Reducing Plastic Waste: The policy is being expanded to address specific challenges such as plastic waste reduction, in line with the EU’s Single-Use Plastics Directive. In 2021, Germany implemented a ban on certain single-use plastics, and they also be introducing a minimum quota of 25% recycled PET content in drink bottles from 2025.  

Germany’s packaging EPR programme serves as a successful model for other countries seeking to implement similar EPR initiatives. It demonstrates the effectiveness of a well-designed, enforced, and adaptable system in promoting waste reduction, increasing recycling rates, and fostering a more circular economy for packaging.  

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