Germany wants industry to co-finance removal of one-use plastics

The German Minister for the Environment, Steffi Lemke, advocated that the manufacturers of single-use plastics share the costs of removing this waste from parks and streets, in statements to dpa on Friday.

Lemke added that the ministry is preparing a bill to this effect. According to the minister, with the bans on some plastic products, Germany has taken the first important steps. “I want to go further,” he said.

Specifically, it is the creation of a fund for single-use plastics, to which manufacturers must pay based on the amount of plastic they sell.

Lemke pointed out that a “special tax with a financing function” is planned, according to the bill that is currently being coordinated between the ministries and that is expected to be approved this (European) autumn.

The background of the project is the European Union (EU) directive on single-use plastics, which reinforces the principle that “the polluter pays”, according to which Member States must transfer responsibility to manufacturers at the national level.

This affects, for example, products such as takeaway food containers, plastic bags and wrappers, cups, wet wipes, balloons and tobacco filters, among others.

According to the Ministry of the Environment, the exact rate and amount of the fee have not yet been determined. “Carelessly discarded single-use plastic is not only a huge nuisance, but the pollution crisis is one of the biggest environmental issues of our time,” he said. “Reusable plastic, not throwaway plastic, should become the new norm.”

From 2023, restaurants, bars and lunch stores will also have to offer takeaway drinks and food in reusable containers. Lemke said he could imagine introducing a minimum quota for reusable bottles.

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Source: dpa