Status: 09.01.2022 11:12 a.m.
It has been common practice for years: Germany exports its plastic waste to other countries. However, the waste is often not disposed of properly there. Environment Minister Lemke therefore wants to enforce an extensive rubbish export ban.
Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (Greens) wants to enforce an export ban on plastic waste from Germany. “I am campaigning for a far-reaching export ban at EU level,” said Lemke to the “Tagesspiegel”. Illegal waste exports should stop. However, this can only sensibly be regulated within the framework of the EU internal market so that it is not repeatedly undermined in practice.
Environmentalists have been critical of the issue of waste exports for years. They warn of environmental damage if the garbage ends up in poorer countries and its whereabouts are barely monitored. Most recently, in December, Greenpeace demanded that the federal government and the federal states have to bring back more than a hundred waste containers originating from Germany from Turkey, Greece and other countries. Some of the waste had been shipped there illegally.
Lemke wants to consult with the federal states “how we can improve the implementation of the existing rules”. “We will keep an eye on the containers in Turkey and Greece,” emphasized the minister.
Significant decrease in export volume
The latest figures from the Federal Association of German Waste Management, Water and Raw Materials Management (BDE) show that German companies have already exported significantly less plastic waste than before in 2021. Last year, around 697,000 tons of plastic waste were transported abroad, a third (32 percent) less than in 2020, as the BDE told the dpa news agency on request.
BDE boss Peter Kurth sees the decline in export volumes as positive. It shows that the domestic demand for the raw materials has increased. At the same time, however, Kurth pointed out that stricter import restrictions from Asian countries and the corona pandemic, including interrupted supply chains, may have played a role. “2021 was an exceptional year.” The decline is so clear that a trend can be derived from it, especially since the export volume had already fallen last year, according to Kurth – at that time by nine percent.
Garbage export prices have apparently risen
It is also noteworthy that the turnover made with plastic exports has remained almost the same at 259 million euros despite the drop in volume: the statisticians only show a mini-minus of one percent. One possible conclusion: overall prices and the quality of the export goods rose.
There were also significant changes to the list of importers. For years, China was the main customer. However, a few years ago Beijing tightened the import rules for waste. The waste streams shifted to other Asian countries, as of 2018 Malaysia was the largest importer of German plastic waste.
Netherlands new main importer
According to the statistics, the picture has now changed significantly due to further restrictions in other Asian countries as well. Last year, Malaysia slipped from first place to fourth place among the largest importers of German plastic waste. The new front runner is the Netherlands with a plastic import volume from Germany of 136,000 tons last year, 12 percent less than in 2020. Exports to EU neighboring countries such as the Netherlands are considered less critical because the recycling standards there are similarly high.
Based on an industry estimate from 2019, around six million tons of separately collected plastic waste is generated in Germany every year. Plastic waste generated in Germany has to be recycled; it is processed into plastic granules or ends up as fuel in power plants. The granulates are used to manufacture new products, such as polyester clothing, garbage bags and street bollards. This can also be done abroad.