environment
McDonalds wins lawsuit against Tübingen packaging tax
In Tübingen, a McDonald’s branch successfully defended itself in court against a tax on disposable tableware. Photo: Jan Woitas/dpa-Zentralbild/ZB
© dpa-infocom GmbH
Since the beginning of the year, a tax on disposable tableware has been levied in Tübingen to reduce waste. The lawsuit filed by a McDonalds branch has now been successful for the time being. But the city doesn’t give up that easily.
The city of Tübingen has received a sensitive damper in court with its packaging tax: The Administrative Court of Baden-Württemberg declared the tax to be ineffective on Wednesday.
The lawsuit brought by the owner of a Tübingen McDonalds branch was successful, as a spokesman in Mannheim announced. However, the city wants to continue to adhere to the regulation, at least until the written justification for the judgment is available.
In Tübingen, a tax of 50 cents has been due on disposable packaging and tableware since January, and 20 cents on disposable cutlery – a maximum of 1.50 euros is collected per single meal. According to the city, the packaging tax has already reduced the amount of waste in Tübingen by several tons. A month after the introduction of the new tax, there was 5 to 15 percent less waste in the city compared to the previous year.
Tübingen’s Lord Mayor Boris Palmer regretted the decision. The tax works in practice, he said. Everywhere in Tübingen multi-way concepts spread, the city is becoming cleaner. The municipal council should now decide whether the city will accept the verdict or appeal it to the Federal Administrative Court. The packaging tax will not be overridden before the judgment becomes final, Palmer stressed. If the city goes into revision, the regulation will continue to apply until a decision is made by the Federal Administrative Court.
The owner of the Tübingen McDonalds branch had complained that the tax contradicted the federal waste law. She argued that she was already paying royalties for her participation in the dual system.