As the circular economy takes shape, competition policy issues are increasingly coming to the fore. This primarily concerns the take-back and recycling of retail packaging by the Duales System Deutschland (DSD). Recently, the organisation of the take-back and recycling of sales packaging has become a more pressing competition policy issue due to various market access problems faced by competitors. Another important economic policy debate concerns competition in the field of municipal waste management. The Circular Economy and Waste Management Act has, in this regard, created comprehensive opportunities for competition only in relation to recyclable waste from sources other than households. This special report describes the current competition issues and highlights the weaknesses of the existing market regulation. In doing so, it develops alternative approaches to achieving environmental policy objectives in a manner more consistent with competition law.