Germany Says “Auf Wiedersehen” to Single-Use Plastics

Complementing the European Union’s mission to reduce waste, the German Cabinet has agreed to ban the sale of single-use plastic items by next July.

According to the Federal Environmental Agency, Germany accumulated a record total of 18.7 million tons of packaging waste in 2017.

“Many single-use plastic products are superfluous and non-sustainable use of resources,” says Environment Minister Svenja Schulze, adding that this change is intended to help transition away from a “throw-away culture”.

The move comes after months of speculation, and will mean the end of selling plastic straws, cutlery, plates, food containers, cotton buds, balloon holders and other single-use plastics starting July 3, 2021.