According to a survey by the German Environmental Aid, 120 cities have expressed interest in introducing a municipal tax on single-use packaging. The results of the survey, conducted over the past two years, were reported by the “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland” (Tuesday editions).
Almost 50 cities also stated that they would wait for the verdict of the Federal Constitutional Court before taking any action. Just a few days ago, the Karlsruhe judges ruled that the packaging tax in Tübingen is in line with the German Constitution.
DUH’s federal executive director, Barbara Metz, is now hoping that more cities will follow Tübingen’s example and introduce a similar tax. “The daily sight of littered streets, squares and parks in cities is a constant annoyance to people and a burden on our environment” she said. As the federal government remains inactive, cities and municipalities can now take matters into their own hands to combat single-use waste.
“With the Federal Constitutional Court’s decision, they now have legal clarity to hold companies accountable for their single-use waste and to promote environmental justice” Metz said. She is calling on citizens to name their city or municipality so that, together with the DUH, they can submit a request to introduce the tax.
“Every additional municipal single-use packaging tax will increase the pressure on the federal government to introduce a nationwide single-use packaging fee” Metz said. She is particularly expecting the cities that have already expressed interest to take the initiative and introduce packaging taxes.