Germany: New Packaging Waste Law adopted on May 12, 2017

The new Law on the Further Development of Separate Collection of Recyclable Waste (Packaging Waste Law) was adopted on May 12, 2017 by the German Federal Assembly (Bundesrat). The law will enter into force on January 1, 2019 and will replace the currently applicable Packaging Ordinance.

The newly introduced registration and reporting obligation with the so called „Zentrale Stelle“ (centralized authority) constitutes the most important change. The „Zentrale Stelle“ shall facilitate the enforcement of  the Packaging Waste Law and will be set-up as a foundation entrusted with public authority.

The already existing Clearing House (“Gemeinsame Stelle”), which requires registration of packaging take-back systems, will continue to be responsible for the coordination between the take-back systems operating on the market, for example clearing between several systems.

Further changes refer to the obligation of market actors to join a packaging take-back system for secondary packaging which will end up with consumers as well as increased recycling quotas.