[alexisread]

I think taxing packaging along with a country-wide standard for recycling AND for standardised containers (as per other posts here) would be the best option - win-win for governments. Non-homogeneous packaging eg. Cardboard food containers with plastic windows would be taxed heavily.

Taxing packaging by weight and type would theoretically work to minimise packaging and encourage eg. Bringing a tupperware container to the shops. The standardised (countrywide) container types would mean you could eg. Put your standard coffebean container under the supermarket dispenser and do away with packaging.

The taxation would apply to manufacturers (import) not consumers, thus incentivising them to advertise green credentials as a feature, and to cut down packaging or pass the cost on (at which point most customers would move to the cheaper product).

As far as non-homogeneous packaging goes, if it takes longer than 5sec to separate each bit into homogeneous parts, then I'd class it as non-homogeneous.