18 March 1999: According to a recent report, it is becoming more difficult and costly to export foodstuffs to Germany. The German parliament has approved a law which strengthens the packaging recovery…
18 March 1999: According to a recent report, it is becoming more difficult and costly to export foodstuffs to Germany. The German parliament has approved a law which strengthens the packaging recovery regulations. The law particularly concerns products sold in glass bottles or plastic containers (wine and mineral water), metal or glass containers (jams, preserves), cans and plastic bags. Recovery of bottles is especially onerous, since there is an obligatory deposit (DM 0.50) on the bottles, repaid when they are returned by the customers. Producers and importers must coordinate with a “green point”, an organization which guarantees collection and recycling of the waste packaging. There are fixed quotas for the percentage of material which must be recycled (72% for bottles). As of January 1999, fines are being issued if these quotas are not met.