In an open letter to the German government, the German Advisory Council on the Environment (SRU) has advocated strengthening the closed-loop recycling of plastics. The introduction of the so-called plastic tax at the European level now offers the German government the opportunity to "address structural problems of plastic recycling in Germany," as the trade press quotes from the letter. However, the plastic tax, created as a financial instrument for the EU, would not have any steering effect. Its introduction should therefore be seen as an opportunity to take measures that could solve current problems. Among other things, the Environmental Council recommends supplementing the compulsory reusable offer provided for in the amendment to the Packaging Act at national level with a mandatory minimum offer and promoting reusable offers in other areas such as food, cosmetics and cleaning agents. In addition, small and medium-sized enterprises should be given financial support to convert to circular products and the competitiveness of recycled materials should be strengthened. At the European level, the German government should promote recyclability and further recyclate use quotas in product regulation.
More information: Open letter from the Environmental Council (in German language)
Photo: from left Prof. Claudia Hornberg (Chair), Prof. Wolfgang Köck, Prof. Annette Elisabeth Töller, Dr. Julia Hertin (Executive Director), Prof. Josef Settele, Prof. Claudia Kemfert (Vice Chair), Prof. Wolfgang Lucht, Prof. Christina Dornack (© Umweltrat.de)
Sources:
- recyclingmagazin.de (15.1.2021)
- recyclingportal.eu (18.1.2021)
- Euwid Recycling und Entsorgung 3/2021 (1/20/20/2021)