Direct product responsibility for all

The Recycling and Waste Management Act entered into force in Germany on 7 October 1996. It replaces the Waste Act of 1986 and makes all producers responsible for their products.

The Recycling and Waste Management Act has three main principles: Production and consumption must be organised in such a way as to prevent waste from the very beginning; unavoidable waste must be recovered using advanced techniques and non-recoverable waste must be disposed of. The prevention and recovery of waste have priority over its disposal. This Act therefore goes one step further and makes a differentiation between "waste for recovery" and "waste for disposal".

With the introduction of the Recycling and Waste Management Act, the regulations that had applied to packaging since 1991 became valid for all consumer goods and commodities: Anyone producing or processing goods has to accept product responsibility for them.

But what exactly does product responsibility mean? The Act gives some examples: Products should have a long service life and be suitable for multiple use. Recoverable waste or secondary raw materials should be used for production. Used products must be taken back and recovered.