02. Producer responsibility for packaging – what does it mean and who is affected?
Producer responsibility means that the party who produces and distributes a product has to think about the subsequent recovery of that product as early as during its development, production and distribution. They must bear in mind the recyclability of that product, and ensure that the product will be returned after use as well as its recovery.
The Verpackungsgesetz (Packaging Act) regulates this for different types of packaging and contents in a differentiated and case-dependant way.
Producer responsibility applies to everyone who is the first to fill packaging with goods and commercially place it on the German market.
Every company that places packaging filled with goods on the German market or imports packaging filled with goods into Germany is required to register in the LUCID Packaging Register, indicating the packaging types that are being placed on the German market. Anyone who is the first to place retail, grouped or shipment packaging on the German market that is filled with goods and typically accumulates as waste with private final consumers or comparable sources of waste generation has to bear financial producer responsibility for this packaging – and pay for its recycling. This is called 'system participation'. To fulfil the system participation requirement, you have to enter into a system participation agreement with one or more system(s).
You are also required to submit data reports to the LUCID Packaging Register, indicating the packaging volume that you have reported to your chosen system(s).
Further information about the term 'producer' can be found in this graphic.
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