Plastics association criticises ban on to-go packaging

It came as expected: The Federal Council today approved the ban on single-use plastic. Following the decision, the IK Industrievereinigung Kunststoffverpackungen once again emphasised the importance of to-go packaging for the catering and retail sectors.

From the middle of next year, many single-use plastic products will be banned. It was well known that straws, cotton buds, cutlery, stirrers and plates would be banned. And the EU has stipulated this. From mid-2021, to-go food containers and drinks cups made from foamed polystyrene will also be banned in this country.

To-go packaging has never been more important than it is today

The IK Industrievereinigung Kunststoffverpackungen is taking this as an opportunity to emphasise once again the importance of to-go packaging for the catering and retail sectors.

„The coronavirus pandemic is clearly showing us how much we rely on plastic service packaging. It is simply indispensable for the takeaway and delivery business. Banning easily recyclable plastic packaging is ecological nonsense,“ says Engelmann. „Because such bans only lead to an increase in paper-plastic composite packaging that is difficult to recycle. Aluminium packaging, on the other hand, is significantly more expensive for the food service industry and also has a greater CO₂-backpack compared to plastic packaging.“ Dr Martin Engelmann,Managing Director of the IK

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Standardised packaging regulations across Europe

It is therefore a good thing that the federal states have rejected calls for further packaging bans in Germany. However, it is difficult to understand why the German government has gone further than the EU has envisaged when it comes to to-go food containers. The European Directive only applies to packaging that is carelessly thrown away. The fact that this criterion was not explicitly included in the regulation means that there is a risk of a different interpretation in Germany than in the rest of the EU. When implementing the regulation in Germany, the IK will pay close attention to ensuring that the EU Commission's requirements for standardised application are met

In this context, the IK also points out how important standardised packaging regulations in the EU internal market are for the economy. The free exchange of mostly packaged goods in the European internal market can only be ensured if the member states implement the EU regulations in a standardised manner. The IK strictly rejects calls for further packaging bans in Germany.