Decrease in waste volumes in Germany

Die Tabak Zeitung // In view of the decline in waste volumes reported by the Federal Statistical Office, the German Retail Association (HDE) is drawing attention to retailers’ commitment to reducing waste volumes.

According to the Federal Statistical Office, the amount of waste in Germany in 2023 has fallen to its lowest level since 2010, including the amount of commercial waste generated by retail companies, among others.

“The development of waste volumes shows that the retail sector’s commitment is bearing fruit and that the joint efforts to reduce waste are working,” explains Antje Gerstein, HDE Managing Director for Sustainability. In the spirit of the circular economy, waste and recycling management is constantly being adapted and improved in order to reduce the consumption of raw materials and reuse materials wherever possible. The obligation to separate waste by type also enables high-quality recycling and reuse of materials. “Political support is also needed to ensure that this positive development continues,” says Gerstein. It remains to be seen how the provisions of the coalition agreement will be implemented. The HDE sees potential for further improvements here. “The right course must be set both when transposing the EU Packaging Regulation into national law and when amending the German Packaging Act,” emphasizes Gerstein. The German government has already focused on important issues, now it is important to enact regulations that can be implemented in a practical manner with little bureaucracy for the economy. The HDE believes that the initial signals are promising, for example in the upcoming amendment to Section 21 of the Packaging Act and in the planned national implementation of the approval requirement to fulfill the extended producer responsibility for packaging that is not yet subject to system participation. “The recycling and reuse system that already works well in Germany should definitely be continued. Then there is a good chance that retailers will also be able to make a significant contribution to further reducing commercial waste volumes in the future,” says Gerstein.