Status: 03/29/2023 09:44 a.m
Since the beginning of the year, reusable offers have been mandatory in restaurants and cafés, but there are problems with the implementation. The environmental organization Greenpeace now wants to put pressure on with a new reporting portal.
Take-away continues to generate large amounts of packaging waste – although consumers have been entitled to receive take-away food or drinks in reusable packaging since January 1st. The environmental organization Greenpeace now wants to increase the pressure on the operators of restaurants, bistros and cafés. A new reporting portal that was announced in February is now being launched. Violations should be able to be reported directly to the respective state authorities, i.e. usually to the environment ministries of the states.
Fines of up to 10,000 euros
In the portal, consumers can store the data of the shops that do not comply with the rules from the reporting point of view and point out violations. Based on the postal code entered, the notification is sent by e-mail to the relevant state authority. Ideally, the municipality should check whether the violations continue and then call for them to end, Greenpeace said.
In the event of persistent violations and, if necessary, after further warnings, the authorities could then impose fines. According to the law, these fines can be up to 10,000 euros. The Greenpeace expert for circular economy, Viola Wohlgemuth, criticized that almost three months after the law came into force, the responsibilities for implementation had not even been clarified. Based on test purchases in the catering trade, the organization had complained at the beginning of the year that many companies were not complying with the requirements.
Exceptions for snack bars and kiosks
The multiple-way offer obligation has been in effect since January 1st. The legal requirement obliges restaurants, bistros and cafés that sell takeaway food and drinks to also offer reusable packaging. The goal is to reduce the amount of single-use plastic packaging. The Federal Ministry for the Environment assumes 770 tons of waste per day in the to-go area.
Smaller shops such as snack bars and kiosks, in which a maximum of five employees work and which have a shop area of no more than 80 square meters, are exempt from the obligation to offer multiple items. However, these companies must enable their customers to have their own reusable containers filled.