In the society of risk in which we live, the consequences of environmental dangers may affect a very high number of people, so the responsibility for decisions has been distributed among various groups. In the Danish model of solid urban waste management, based on returning containers, the government deals with the problem and the companies package their products in reusable containers. Another model is that of Germany, which is based on the intermediation of interests between the public sector, distributors and consumers, marginalizing the manufacturers; France prioritizes waste treatment, making the government responsible for the problem, sharing economic duties with the manufacturers. The EU Directive, a compromise solution between the latter two structures, is difficult to transpose to Spain.