What does the Circular Economy Act say?
The Closed Substance Cycle Waste Management Act regulates waste management in Germany, waste prevention and waste recycling.
The Closed Substance Cycle Waste Management Act (KrWG) is the central German law on waste prevention, recycling and resource conservation. It obliges companies and private individuals to avoid waste as far as possible, reuse it or recycle it – before disposal is considered. The aim is to promote a circular economy that is as closed as possible, thereby protecting the environment and climate. Waste transport is included in this and is subject to strict regulations.
The Act establishes a so-called waste hierarchy:
- prevention,
- preparation for reuse,
- recycling,
- other recovery (e.g. energy recovery),
- disposal (landfilling or incineration without energy recovery).
In addition, the KrWG regulates product responsibility: manufacturers and distributors must ensure, as early as the product design stage, that as little waste as possible is generated and that raw materials can be recycled.
Tip: If your company uses packaging, transport aids or equipment, check regularly whether these are recyclable or whether waste can be avoided through reusable or repair solutions – this saves costs and protects the environment.
What is meant by the term recycling?
Recycling describes the process of reusing or reprocessing waste.
Recycling is the process by which waste materials are collected, processed and converted into new products.
As an essential part of the circular economy, recycling helps to close or slow down material cycles, thereby reducing the use of natural resources and the generation of emissions. Legally, recycling only applies if the raw material was previously classified as waste; otherwise, it is considered reuse. Colloquial use of the term ‘recycling’ often encompasses both meanings. (Quote from Wikipedia)
The aim is to conserve raw materials, save energy and reduce environmental pollution. Materials such as paper, glass, metal and plastic are recycled instead of being thrown away.
In this way, something new is created from something old.
The term recycling is a loan word from English meaning ‘reuse’ or ‘reprocessing’.
What is the difference between rubbish and waste?
Waste can be a valuable resource, whereas rubbish is often not reusable.
In everyday language, ‘rubbish’ and ‘waste’ are often used synonymously – but legally and technically, there is a clear difference:
Waste is the overarching, technically correct term. It refers to all materials or objects that someone disposes of, wants to dispose of or must dispose of (Section 3 KrWG). This includes, for example, production residues, packaging or broken appliances – regardless of whether they are still usable or not.
Rubbish is more of a colloquial term and usually refers to worthless, unsorted or no longer usable materials – such as household waste that ends up in the residual waste bin. This term is rarely used in the circular economy because it suggests that recycling is no longer possible.
Tip: If you want to conserve resources, you should not view waste as ‘worthless rubbish’ but as potential raw materials. When properly separated and recycled, many materials such as paper, glass, metals and plastics can be reused – and help to protect the environment and climate.