In this graduate thesis, Slovene and German waste packaging systems were described and analysed,
from legislation through to recycling procedures in practice. European Union Directive 94/62/ES
dictates that member states should include certain waste packaging goals in their national legislation.
These goals primarily relate to enforcement of waste packaging systems in all EU member states, and
achievement of specific percentages of recycled waste packaging within specified time frames.
Slovenia transferred the directive into its national legislation in 2006, with the regulation of packaging
and waste packaging. Germany enacted the packaging ordinance (Verpackungsverordnung) in 1991
and harmonized it with the EU directive via enactment, in 1998. Germany introduced separate
systems for household packaging waste using a dual system, according to which household waste
packaging is separated with a special system. Slovenia does not separately treat household and
industrial waste packaging. Data analysis highlighted a difference between the quantity of recycled
waste packaging in Slovenia and in Germany; Germany recovers 24 % more waste packaging than
Slovenia. We estimate that the difference stems firstly from a greater financial incentive for German
consumers, which can be realised when certain forms of used packaging are returned to the point of
purchase, in exchange for monetary compensation and secondly from certain legislation gaps in
Slovenia.
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