The Cologne City Council has paved the way for a municipal packaging tax modelled on that of Tübingen. The Rhine metropolis could thus be the first city in Germany with over a million inhabitants to levy a tax on disposable packaging for to-go consumption.
Firstly, a motion was passed calling on the city administration, to develop an appropriate concept. It is not yet clear how high the new tax will be and when it will apply.
After the Role model of the city of Tübingen, which has been levying a municipal consumption tax on disposable packaging since 2022, Cologne also wants to curb littering in public spaces. Fast food chains, kebab shops, restaurants and cafés - All those who offer food and drinks to take away - would then have to pay money to the city for their disposable packaging. There is talk of 50 cents per coffee-to-go cup or chip tray, and 20 cents for disposable cutlery.
In addition to the aim of reducing packaging waste, experts believe that the tax could also an incentive for customers to switch to reusable crockery. In contrast to the Tübingen regulation, in Cologne Drive-in offers also taxed become.
