Germany passes new law for more recycling and less single-use waste

BERLIN, May 29 — Germany’s upper house of parliament, the Bundesrat, approved a law amendment on Friday in order to increase recycling rates and reduce single-use waste across the country.
Implementing two directives of the European Union (EU), the new law put an end to almost all previously valid exemptions from the mandatory deposit for single-use beverage bottles and cans from 2022 onwards.
Restaurants, bistros and cafes in Germany selling takeaway food or drinks would be obliged to offer their products in reusable packaging, according to the Bundesrat statement.
In addition, new plastic bottles should no longer be made using petroleum, but increasingly from old recycled plastic. From 2025 onwards, a minimum share of recycled plastic would be mandatory for the production of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles.
The aim of the law amendment was to improve recycling and prevent littering in Germany, the Bundesrat statement said. (Xinhua)