Osnabrück introduces local packaging tax

According to Euwid, the city council has decided to introduce a local tax on single-use takeaway packaging from 1 November 2027.

The city of Osnabrück aims to reduce the volume of single-use packaging and promote the use of reusable systems. Osnabrück is the fifth German city to levy such a charge. Tübingen, Konstanz, Freiburg and Potsdam had already introduced a packaging tax earlier. According to Euwid, the decision has met with significant criticism from the region’s trade associations. The Osnabrück – Emsland – Grafschaft Bentheim Chamber of Crafts, together with the District Craftsmen’s Association and the bakers’, confectioners’ and butchers’ guilds, has warned of additional bureaucratic burdens, particularly for smaller food-producing craft businesses. In view of the current economic challenges, the Chamber had initially regarded the council’s decision to postpone the introduction of the packaging tax until 1 November 2027 as an important signal for businesses in Osnabrück. Nevertheless, from a business perspective, completely abandoning the tax would have been the better solution. This is said to be because it entails additional bureaucracy, higher costs and competitive disadvantages for many local businesses, without effectively solving the actual problem of pollution in the city centre. Furthermore, the Chamber expects prices for everyday goods to rise as a result of the tax. Instead, the Chamber of Crafts is advocating the “MehrwegPlus” scheme, a city-wide discount system designed to promote the use of reusable cups and trays without imposing additional tax and documentation obligations on businesses and the administration.
 
Sources:

• Euwid Recycling und Entsorgung 28/2026 (7.7.2026)
• Photo: © Agenlaku Indonesia / Unsplash (Symbolbild)