Germany has transposed the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation into national law – raising recycling quotas for various materials and revising licensing and financing rules.
The new Packaging Law Implementation Act (VerpackDG) will replace the existing Packaging Act (VerpackG), which came into effect in January 2019.
Under the new rules, recycling quotas have increased. From 2028, aluminium and ferrous metals must each achieve a 95% recycling rate.
Plastics must also achieve a quota of 75% – and within this figure, 70% must be mechanically recycled. This adjustment is hoped to cut down on the amount of plastic waste that is incinerated at end-of-life.
In line with the Regulation, institutions such as dual schemes and extended producer responsibility (EPR) organizations must allocate a minimum share of their budgets to packaging waste prevention measures.
Furthermore, they must introduce measures to promote reusable packaging and refilling; these might include seed funding for new reusable systems or public awareness campaigns promoting the solution.
Mandatory licensing will be expanded to include all organizations that take on EPR for multiple manufacturers. Independent manufacturers must apply for individual licensing.
An automated process will be introduced to streamline the licensing process, which will be overseen by the Central Agency Packaging Register (ZSVR).
While the dual systems and industry-specific operators were previously responsible for funding the ZSVR, the manufacturers and organizations applying for licensing will now be expected to co-fund the register.
Last year, the International Court of Justice ruled that any country that fails to tackle greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuels is violating international law and might be required to pay reparations.
Gartner has also published its prediction that 75% of organizations will replace voluntary packaging goals with legislative guidelines by 2028. It encourages companies to achieve a competitive advantage by aligning with current and upcoming sustainability requirements.
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