ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the extent to which hypothecated charges have produced financial incentives for packaging producers to engage in more sustainable waste management. It reviews national trends in packaging production and examines producers' responses to recovery and recycling charges. The link between environmental charges and producer policies is examined in more detail, and critical factors determining the incentive effect of economic instruments are discussed. A first indication that recycling charges have produced a discernible effect on packaging producers comes from national government data. The United Kingdom (UK) and German environmental ministries each maintain records of the amount of packaging waste entering the waste stream using data provided by materials organisations. In order to explore the effects of economic instruments on the production and management of packaging waste, surveys were conducted with UK and German packaging producers.
