Environment & energy

The German Packaging Ordinance (VerpackV) was introduced in Germany in 1991. It has been amended several times over recent years and brought into line with the EU Packaging Directive. The Fifth Ordinance to Amend the Packaging Ordinance was published in the Federal Gazette on 4 April 2008. The majority of the amendments will enter into force on 1 January 2009. The objectives of the fifth amendment are:

• To ensure the disposal of product packaging in the household collection system.
• To create fair competition between the participants.
• An obligation to license packaging which goes to private consumers with a nation-wide returns system._.
• Higher transparency in the disposal of sales packaging.

The recycling requirements are particularly relevant for the glass industry.
At least 75 percent of consumer glass packaging waste must be recycled according to Annex I of the ordinance. According to the German Environmental Agency, Germany has been surpassing these recycling quotas for many years already.