Guide to the German Packaging Act

Deposit on all plastic bottles, increased use of recycled materials, and more: The revised German Packaging Act, which came into effect on July 3, 2021, introduced many new requirements. A DIHK guide from February 2022 outlines what businesses need to know.

Through this new law, the German government implements European directives from the Single-Use Plastics Directive as well as the revised Waste Framework Directive into German legislation and introduces further updates and changes.

For many companies, the following points are particularly important:

The deposit obligation is gradually extended to all plastic bottles and cans.
Since July 1, 2022, all manufacturers of packaging are required to register in the packaging register.
Cafés, bistros, and restaurants must offer alternatives to single-use packaging to their take-away customers starting January 1, 2023.
From 2025, PET single-use bottles must be manufactured with a minimum of 25% recycled content.

New legislation on the way

The proposal for a new EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) has been adopted. The German implementation law will take effect starting August 12, 2026.

The guide highlighting the key changes can be downloaded here:

DIHK Guide to the German Packaging Act

(only available in German, February 2022 edition)