The country's waste classification work can be traced back to the 1980s. In the mid 1980s, Germany began to implement waste separation and recycling. In the 1990s, garbage classification was formally promoted in Germany.
The most famous measure in the German waste classification is the 'reduction of bottles'. In 2003, the German government issued the 'Beverage Pack Deposit Provision' which stipulated that anyone who buys drinks in Germany must pay an extra 0.25 Euro as a deposit for containers. In order to ensure the use of the container back to recycling.
When the customer finishes the drink and brings the empty bottle back to the mall, the empty bottle is dropped into the automatic recycling machine, and a small ticket printed with the amount of the drink bottle can be obtained. The customer can get a refund with a small ticket to the cashier. A deposit of 0.25 euros, which completes the recycling process of the beverage bottle.
A set of data shows the success of 'reduction of bottles'. The 2012 data shows that the safe recovery rate for cans, glass bottles and plastic bottles in Germany is 98.5%, and the volume of domestic garbage is reduced by 40%-50%.
At present, deposit refund systems have been implemented in 40 countries and regions around the world. With the deposit refund system, the recycling rate of most standard beverages in most countries has reached more than 90%.