Is the obligation to offer reusable packaging in danger of coming to nothing?

It is true that it is the right approach that catering establishments must also offer ready-to-eat food and drinks in reusable packaging. However, the regulation contains neither specifications as to how much reusable material should be used, nor financial penalisation of environmentally and climate-damaging disposable materialaccording to the DUH.

To ensure that as many people as possible switch to reusable packaging, the organisation is calling for a tax of at least 20 cents on disposable crockery. This is the only way to give customers a real incentive to favour reusable over disposable. The environmental and consumer protection association recommends that the catering industry use standard reusable cups and food boxes across companies. This makes reusable containers more efficient to handle and easier to return. In addition, the obligation to offer reusable containers must be consistently monitored by the lower waste authorities and trade supervisory offices.

"If reusable packaging is to become the new standard for ready-to-eat food and drinks in the catering industry, then financial parity with disposable packaging is not enough. because without improvements, the disposable version remains easier to use. That is why we are calling for the use of standardised reusable systems and a levy of at least 20 cents on disposable cups, boxes and cutlery. This will make the more environmentally friendly reusable option more attractive than disposable. The municipal single-use packaging tax in Tübingen has already impressively demonstrated that reusable packaging can be successfully promoted in this way."

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Barbara Metz, DUH Federal Managing Director