Since the announcement of the so-called plastic tax three weeks ago, tempers have been running high in the industry. Five associations from the plastic packaging value chain have now issued an appeal against the tax and are calling for sensible alternatives.
The coalition of IK, VDMA, the Federation of German Food and Drink Industries, GKV and Plastics Europe is calling on the German government to withdraw the announced levy of the so-called EU plastics tax on German companies to cover the budget shortfall in order to minimise further Avert damage to the circular economy, climate protection and industrial jobs. The announcement is a bitter setback for all companies that, as plastics manufacturers, packaging manufacturers, retailers, distributors and plastics recyclers, have successfully made their way towards a functioning circular economy for plastic packaging. The associations emphasise that a plastic tax is highly likely to have a negative impact on the environment and refer to a current project by the Federal Environment Agency. On the other hand, it would make ecological sense, Stronger financial incentives for highly recyclable packaging to set.
„Even three weeks after the announcement, it is still completely unclear who should pay how much for what. The German government should realise that there is no room for a populist plastic tax in view of the dense regulatory framework for packaging in Germany. Investment decisions have been halted and instead plans to relocate production abroad have been accelerated.“
Dr Martin Engelmann, Managing Director of the IK Industrievereinigung Kunststoffverpackungen e.V.
In the appeal, the associations point out that a „Levy“ of the so-called EU plastic tax neither necessary nor sensible is. There is no reason why companies in the plastic packaging value chain should be liable for the consequences of Brexit in the EU budget and the unconstitutional budget management of the German government. Furthermore, a plastic tax would also be socially unjust because it would lead to a Increase in product prices This would result in a proportional burden on the lower income groups in particular, who spend a much higher proportion of their income on consumer products, e.g. packaged food.
Source: IK
