The Association of Municipal Enterprises (VKU) welcomes the current figures from the Federal Environment Agency on the single-use plastic fund for 2024. According to these figures, more than 200 million euros will be available for municipal cleaning services after deduction of administrative costs. The fund is financed by levies from manufacturers of certain single-use plastic products and packaging.
According to the Federal Environment Agency, revenue for the single-use plastic fund for 2024 will amount to around €216 million. After deducting administrative costs of around €11 million, just over €200 million is to be distributed to eligible municipalities and institutions. The fund is based on the implementation of extended producer responsibility for certain single-use plastic products.
This affects, among others, manufacturers of to-go packaging, food containers, drinking cups, or other single-use plastic products that are often disposed of in public spaces. The aim of the fund is to distribute the costs for cleaning and disposal in a polluter-pays manner and to support municipalities in their anti-littering measures.
The Federal Environment Agency is currently reviewing around 2,000 received benefit claims for the year 2024. The amount of the payouts is based on a points system established in the Single-Use Plastics Fund Ordinance. Payouts for the benefit year 2024 are planned to take place in the second half of 2026.
VKU Vice-President Uwe Feige stated: „While the establishment of the single-use plastic fund has taken longer than planned, and also than legally stipulated, it is nevertheless becoming apparent that patience has paid off and municipal waste disposal companies can expect substantial payouts.“
Funding to finance anti-littering measures
In the VKU's assessment, the fund can contribute to better refinancing of municipal cleaning costs. From the association's perspective, the disbursed funds should be specifically used for urban cleanliness projects, anti-littering campaigns, and investments in cleaning technology.
The issue is also gaining importance for the packaging industry. The single-use plastic fund will transfer the costs of littering and disposal more strongly to manufacturers and distributors of certain types of packaging. This increases the regulatory pressure on suppliers of single-use and to-go packaging.
VKU calls for expansion to further packaging
The VKU is also calling for the further development of the single-use plastic fund into a more comprehensive anti-littering fund. In the view of the association, further littering-relevant products such as pizza boxes or comparable packaging should also be included in the financing of municipal cleaning services in the future.
Source: Association of Municipal Enterprises
