In a new waste hierarchy the amended EU Waste Framework Directive (WFD) confirmed the prevention of waste as a priority measure to protect the environment with regard to the production and handling of waste. Amongst others the Member States are requested to promote waste prevention. According to article 29 paragraph 1 of the Waste Framework Directive the prevention measures have to be planned in terms of waste prevention programs to be created by the Member States until 12 December 2013.

These prevention programs are to describe existing waste prevention measures and set waste prevention goals. The progress is to be monitored and assessed by targeting appropriate, specific qualitative or quantitative benchmarks for adopted waste prevention measures. In this project within the Environmental Research Plan (UFOPLAN) the great number of public sector measures, which do already help to reduce waste in Germany, are presented according to the parameters specified in Annex IV of the Waste Framework Directive and are complemented by corresponding measures from abroad or measures taken from the literature as a basis for the national prevention program in Germany.

The aim of the research project is to provide a well-founded data base on existing measures for waste prevention by public authorities in Germany as well as instruments used on the local, state and federal level - providing the basis for the creation of a national waste prevention program (WPP). Existing national waste prevention measures on the local, regional, national and state level in Germany are recorded and structured considering voluntary, regulatory, and eco-specific instruments.