GERMANY’S WASTE MANAGEMENT POLICY DEVELOPMENT

1 GERMANY'S WASTE MANAGEMENT . POLICY DEVELOPMENT . A Focus on Municipal Solid WASTE Imprint Content Summary 4. I. Background: Municipal Solid WASTE (MSW) MANAGEMENT in Germany 5. Published by: Basic Facts about MSW MANAGEMENT in Germany 5. Deutsche Gesellschaft f r Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. Current trends and goals 7. Registered offices Bonn and Eschborn II. Germany WASTE MANAGEMENT POLICY and strategies 9. Address (China Representative Office). Sunflower Tower 1100 Basic Principles 9. 37 Maizidian Street, Chaoyang District 100125 Beijing, PR China Circular Economy 12. T +86 10 8527 5180. F +86 10 8527 5185. III. Regulatory Framework 17. E Photo credits/sources: I Cover, Shutterstock/ Timo Nausch, P6, Shutterstock/ Markus Gann, P11 Shutterstock/ Keikona, P14, Shutterstock/Teerasak Framework legislation in WASTE MANAGEMENT 18. Project: Ladnongkhun, P16, Shutterstock/Bilanol, P18, Shutterstock/. China Integrated WASTE MANAGEMENT (IWM) NAMA Lebedeva Alena, P20-21, Shutterstock/Lightspring, P27, Shutterstock/Maykova Galina, P31, Shutterstock/Maykova Galina, Biowaste 21.

2 This project is supported by the NAMA Facility on behalf of the P 32, Shutterstock/NicoElNino, P39, Shutterstock/Tunatura, P41, German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conserva- Mirco Lomoth tion and Nuclear Safety (BMU), the UK Department for Business, Fertilizer 22. Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) (formerly DECC), the Danish URL links: Ministry of Energy, Utilities and Climate (EFKM) and the European Responsibility for the content of external websites linked in this Animal By-product 23. Commission publication always lies with their respective publishers. GIZ. expressly dissociates itself from such content. Editors: Packaging WASTE 24. Qian Mingyu (GIZ), Nina Mitiaieva (GIZ) On behalf of NAMA Facility Authors: E- WASTE 26. Laura Schroeder, Kim Jeonghyun GIZ is responsible for the content of this publication. Design/layout: Beijing, PR China Landfill 27. Weng Fangping (GIZ) 2019. Emissions 28. Compost & Digestate - Quality Assurance 29. Shipment of WASTE 30.

3 Supporting legislation 30. IV. Legislation DEVELOPMENT 32. V. Current Challenges (Germany and the EU) 36. Implemented by VI. Relevance for China 40. Annex I - Comparison of the major legislative documents regulating WASTE manage - ment in Germany and China 46. 4 | GERMANY'S WASTE MANGEMENT POLICY DEVELOPMENT GERMANY'S WASTE MANGEMENT POLICY DEVELOPMENT | 5. Summary I. Background: Municipal Solid WASTE (MSW) MANAGEMENT in Germany Over the decades, Germany has achieved Behind the current high performance and com- Basic Facts about MSW Man- Until 2012 Germany had even been demon- remarkable progress in WASTE MANAGEMENT . prehensive regulatory framework, there has agement in Germany strating a certain degree of decoupling eco- It has shown a continuous increase in WASTE been a long history of legislative DEVELOPMENT . nomic growth from WASTE generation. Country's recovery and recycling rate, reaching re- In the course of this process, as its name Germany is considered to be on the forefront GDP had been increasing continuously (with spectively 81% and 69% in 2018, as well as implies, the focus of German main WASTE law of WASTE MANAGEMENT in in Europe - cred- an exception of 2009 when GDP fell due to fi- significant GHG emissions reduction in WASTE has been gradually shifted from WASTE dispos- it to country's high recycling rate, efficient nancial crisis), while the net volume of WASTE MANAGEMENT sector.

4 Nowadays, the country is al ( WASTE Disposal Act) to WASTE MANAGEMENT WASTE -to-energy system, advanced and wide- generated had been decreasing. Since 2012, paying increasing attention to WASTE minimi- ( WASTE Act) and ultimately to material circu- spread use of biological methods for treat- however, the net WASTE volume has started zation and improvement of recycling, especial- larity (Circular Economy Act). ing organic WASTE as well as relatively high growing although not as rapidly as Germany's ly, of single-use plastics. quality of WASTE segregation at source. GDP (Figure 1). China, similarly to Germany few decades ago, Circular Economy Act and Packaging Act cur- is being confronted with the rapid increase in rently set the tone in German WASTE manage - WASTE amount and the urgent need to reduce ment . The former serves as the main federal pollution. China's WASTE MANAGEMENT system law outlining the legal basis and fundamental is in transition into an integrated system Decoupling of GDP and WASTE Generation (%).

5 Principles of WASTE MANAGEMENT , emphasizing beyond mere WASTE disposal and/or treatment. WASTE reduction, reuse and recycling. Follow- For this, long-term and holistic umbrella 120. ing the circular economy framework, the latter legislation setting concrete goals and pro- embodies producer responsibility for packag- viding consistent guidance towards a circular 110 Gross Domestic Product (GDP). ing WASTE by making producers and importers low-carbon economy is required. By looking 100 100 101 Net WASTE volume of goods responsible for recycling, treatment into Germany's current POLICY and legislation 100 100. WASTE intensity and disposal of their products in a post-use as well as the history of its DEVELOPMENT , this phase. Meanwhile, numerous ordinances diver- report aims to provide an insight for further 90 sified by the type of WASTE ( Biowaste Or- legislative advancement of China's WASTE 82. dinance) or by the method of WASTE treatment MANAGEMENT towards low-carbon integrated 80 and disposal ( landfill, compost) control approach.

6 Environmental pollution and GHG emissions 70. occurring in WASTE MANAGEMENT operations. 2000 2003 2006 2009 2012 2015. Source: BMU (2018). Figure 1. GDP and WASTE generation in Germany, 2000-2015. Source: BMU (2018) 1. Figure 1. GDP and WASTE generation in Germany, 2000-2015. Source: BMU (2018) 1. Among the European countries as well as globally Germany has relatively high per capita WASTE generation. Among In 2017, itcountries the European was estimated as wellatasthe level (European of 633 kg per person average is per 486 year (European kg/person 2. ) . Ataverage the is 2. 486 kg/person) . At the same time, as mentioned before, Germany is well known globally Germany has relatively high per capi- same time, as mentioned before, Germany is for its advanced WASTE disposal ta WASTE and treatment generation. performance. In 2017, According to it was estimated theknown well data from for itstheadvanced Federal WASTE Statistics Department, disposal since at the 2010. level the country of 633 hasperson kg per been showing per year a continuous increaseperformance.

7 And treatment in recovery rates (including According to theenergy recovery, recycling, reuse) against the backdrop of decreasing volumes of WASTE disposal. Furthermore, Germany reduced 56 million t CO2e of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions since 1990 through the ban on disposal of untreated organic WASTE and an increase in recycling and energy harvesting. 3. 90 82. 80 6 | GERMANY'S WASTE MANGEMENT POLICY DEVELOPMENT GERMANY'S WASTE MANGEMENT POLICY DEVELOPMENT | 7. 70. 2000 2003 2006 2009 2012 2015. data from the Federal Statistics Department, Source: BMU. WASTE disposal and treatment (2018) has in Germany to the EU Eco-design guidelines. Current trends and goals Figure the WASTE GDP and country has been generation showing2000-2015. in Germany, a evolved Source: toward high1 recovery rate as can be BMU (2018). continuous increase in recovery rates (includ- seen in the Figure 2. In 2018, the recovery Germany's WASTE MANAGEMENT goals follow its 3. Improvement of recycling: From 2019, the Among the European countries as well as globally rate ing energy recovery, recycling, reuse) against reached Germany has81relatively % whereby high69%per of WASTE capita WASTE circular economy framework, focusing on recy- target for recycling rate for plastic pack- generation.

8 The backdropIn 2017, it was estimated of decreasing volumesatofthe level of 633. WASTE werekgrecycled. per personAsper year (European of 2015, had 1,143. Germany average is cling, reuse and reduction of WASTE as well as aging has been raised to from the 486 kg/person) 2.. At the same time, disposal. Furthermore, Germany reduced 56as mentioned landfills, 76 incineration plants and 2,171. before, Germany is well known for its advanced WASTE aiming at cutting environmental pollution from previous 36%. In 2022, it shall reach 63%. disposal and treatment performance. million tCO2e of greenhouse gas (GHG) emis- According to the data from recovery the Federal facilities Statistics including energyDepartment, recovery, as defined by the Packaging Act. BMU will WASTE MANAGEMENT operations. In the Circular since 2010 the country has been showing sions since 1990 through the ban on disposal a continuous increase in recovery rates (including recycling and backfilling facilities 4.)

9 Energy begin a new recycling plan to increase recovery, recycling, reuse) against Economy Act, revised in 2012, Germany sets of untreated organic WASTE and the backdrop in an increase of decreasing volumes of WASTE disposal. Furthermore, recovery rates that will become mandatory in demand for secondary raw materials. Germany reduced 56 million t recycling and energy harvesting2 3. CO e of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions since 1990 through the ban on disposal of untreated organic WASTE and an increase in recycling and energy harvesting. 3 2020. As a preparatory measure, the country aims to reach at least 65% of MSW reuse and 4. Improvement of biowaste use: Under the recycling by 1 January 2020. framework of the Germany Biowaste Bin Campaign (Aktion Biotonne Deutschland), 100. One of the major focus points of the current BMU will support local communities with 90 Landfill, 79 79 79 81. 18% policies is plastic WASTE and, in particular, WASTE MANAGEMENT advice to promote 80 74.

10 68 68 single-use plastics. In 2018, Svenja Schulze, high quality WASTE segregation at source, 70 and this way, to avoid plastic ending up Inciner German Federal Minister for the Environ- 60 Recovery rate in the biowaste bin as well as to prevent ation, ment , Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety 50 Disposal rate 1% biowaste being thrown into the bin for (BMU), presented five measures to reduce 40 32 32 plastic WASTE , to strengthen application of its residual WASTE . Currently, almost 50% of 26. 30 21 21 21 19 alternatives and to improve recycling. The plan biowaste lands in residual WASTE bins, 20. Recycling, combines obligatory and voluntary measures, while plastic bags, glass and other mate- 10 69% and will be carried out with a promotional rials are thrown into the biowaste bin and 0 Energy recovery, campaign called No to disposal plastic soci- contaminate organic WASTE , making the re- 2000 2003 2006 2009 2012 2015 2018 12%. ety under the motto Less is better . The key covery process more complicated as well DEVELOPMENT of recovery and disposal WASTE disposal and treatement in elements of the strategy are as follows: as less efficient.