Since 1 January 2026, a packaging tax has been in effect in Freiburg. An initial interim assessment by the South Upper Rhine Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK), based on a survey of 107 member companies from the catering and retail sectors, shows significant impacts on the takeaway business and daily operations.
The survey results highlight that the tax has led to economic losses in many businesses. Depending on the product sector, between 48.4 and 66.3 percent of companies report declining sales in the to-go segment. This shows that the measure has immediate effects on consumer behaviour and the demand for packaged products.
Additional effort in daily operations
In addition to declining sales, increased organisational effort plays a central role. 83 percent of the surveyed businesses state that the packaging tax has increased the workload in their daily operations. This affects, among other things, checkout processes, customer consultations and internal procedures.
Challenges also arise more frequently in direct customer contact. More than half of companies, specifically 53 percent, report conflicts that occur daily or several times a week. The background appears to be discussions about the additional levy and alternative packaging options.
Reusable use falls short of expectations
A key objective of the packaging tax is to encourage a shift to reusable packaging. However, according to the survey results, this effect has been limited so far. 78 percent of businesses state that single-use packaging continues to be preferred.
This means that, from the perspective of many companies, the intended steering effect of the tax has so far fallen short of expectations. At the same time, the results show that the regulation has not only ecological but also considerable economic and organisational consequences for the businesses concerned.
Source: Chamber of Commerce and Industry Southern Upper Rhine
