Proceedings of the International Association for Business and Society

Volume 11, 2000

Proceedings of the Eleventh Annual Meeting

A Re-Examination of the German "Green Dot" Law
Lessons Leamed in Recyclate Markets

The history of the German "green dot" recycling law is reviewed, including successes and refinements during the nine years since its introduction. The August 1998 amendment and the extension to industrial packaging have helped improve the efficiency and equity of the legislation. Although consumer behaviors have changed dramatically, free-rider issues remain problematic in the implementation of the law. Differences in industrial packaging markets have led to continued dialogue between German companies and the govemment.