Determining the practice of sorting and recovery in accordance with section 21 German Packaging Act

In order to reduce the negative environmental impact of packaging waste, the German Packaging Act (VerpackG) relies not only on ambitious recycling targets in section 21 but also on the obligation of the dual systems (producer responsibility organizations) to set incentives in the design of their participation fees so that a high percentage of packaging can be recycled. When selecting the packaging to be financially incentivized within the meaning of section 21, the respective practice of sorting and recovery ("practice of sorting and recovery") is to be taken into account. In the present study, the following tasks were carried out in order to classify the term and to determine the "practice of sorting and recovery": ► Clarification of the undefined legal term "practice of sorting and recovery" and the associated legal issues. ► Development of a method for determining the "practice of sorting and recovery" as well as concrete work steps, including their detailed presentation and justification. ► Application of the previously developed method for determining the current "practice of sorting and recovery". ► Presentation of foreseeable developments in the industry, the organisation and implementation of packaging recycling, including collection and sorting, and their effects on the practice of sorting and recovery.