07 Nov 2022 --- The German federal government has passed a bill stipulating that single-use plastic producers must contribute to the costs of waste disposal in parks and streets as of 2025. According to the law, manufacturers pay an annual fee to a central fund administered by the federal environment agency. The fund’s income is estimated at up to €450 million (US$448 million) per year. International associations such as Plastics Europe worry that the tax might not be sufficiently inclusive. “Extended producer responsibility (EPR) is an integral part of a circular economy. However, an economic incentive has to be pinpointed,” Dr. Alexander Kronimus, director circular economy and climate protection, Plastics Europe Deutschland tells PackagingInsights. “As the plastic bill is restricted to plastic-containing products, there is a risk of substitution with materials revealing adverse ecological impact. The underlying systematics should have been made on a material neutral base.”
