Germany was one of the first countries to set up an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system for packaging, back in the 1990s, and it has developed significantly since. The legal framework provided by the Verpackungsverordnung, or Packaging Ordinance, was amended several times over the years and was recently replaced by a new Verpackungsgesetz, or Packaging Act, that entered into force in January 2019. One of the most significant changes to EPR in Germany has been its transformation from a system based on a single, non-profit PRO to one that incorporates several for-profit PROs, operating in competition with each other. This change was triggered by changes to antitrust regulations. The system for charging fees has also changed over time, moving progressively towards a model based on the types and weights of material in the system. In 2019, further changes were made to encourage the use of more recyclable packaging. In Germany, all expenses associated with the collection, sorting and recycling of packaging waste is supposed to be covered by fees paid by obliged companies, who have to join a central register and pay fees to a PRO of their choice. The competing PROs manage these fees and conclude contracts and agreements with waste management companies and municipalities. The targets set for the EPR are enshrined in law and changed over time. Originally they focused on making separate collections mandatory and they then began to concentrate on recovery rates. From 2019 onwards, targets focussed on achieving higher recycling targets. Another significant change was the introduction of a deposit-refund system for beverage packaging (PET bottles, cans) in the early 2000s. This system has itself developed over the last two decades and has now been incorporated into the Packaging Act.