A good two years ago, the EU directive banning single-use plastic was passed, and from this Saturday on, consumers will feel the consequences in everyday life.

Cutlery and plates made of single-use plastic are no longer allowed to be placed on the market.

The same applies to disposable products that are only partially made of plastic, such as coated paper plates, such as those given out by food stalls or supermarkets sold for picnics.

Plastic straws, styrofoam cups and cotton swabs with plastic sticks are also a thing of the past.

However, the products will not disappear completely immediately.

What is currently in stock in stores or at restaurateurs can still be used.

Julia Löhr

Business correspondent in Berlin.

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    The EU Commission justified the ban on a total of ten single-use plastic products in 2019 by saying that these would most often pollute the beaches in Europe. In Germany, the problems mainly affect parks and public spaces. The association of municipal companies estimates that single-use plastic accounts for around 20 percent of the waste there. Drinks cups made of paper with a plastic coating are actually no longer desirable, as are cigarettes with plastic filters, sanitary towels, tampons and wet wipes. In the absence of ecological alternatives, however, they will not yet be banned, but will have to carry a warning in future. For Federal Environment Minister Svenja Schulze (SPD) “Europe is taking an important step out of the throwaway society”. Every hour in Germany alone there would be around 320.000 disposable cups for coffee and other beverages were consumed. The guideline is implemented in this country via the “Disposable Plastic Prohibition Ordinance”.

    Offer more reusable containers

    Environmentalists welcome the changes, but they don't go far enough for them.

    The alternative options have also met with criticism.

    In future, restaurants will be able to offer food in aluminum trays, for example.

    However, it is questionable whether these are recycled as often as desired.

    Packaging made of paper, on the other hand, consumes a lot of energy and water in its production and is therefore not ideal in terms of environmental policy.

    The use of chemicals is also a problem.

    Consumer advocates warn that cups made of bamboo fibers often contain melamine or formaldehyde and could release this into the food.

    The Ministry of the Environment wants to ensure that more reusable containers are offered. The amendment to the Packaging Act, which the Bundestag passed in May, obliges restaurateurs from 2023 to also offer food or drinks in reusable containers - at least if the business has an area of ​​more than 80 square meters. This variant must not be more expensive than the one-way packaging, but the providers are allowed to demand a deposit from the customer. The environmental organization NABU criticizes that many sales outlets are smaller and therefore not affected. How often a reusable container is used is also decisive for the ecological balance. As a rule of thumb, the Ministry of the Environment states that it should definitely be more than ten times, and that more than 25 deployments are better.Since Corona, customers have often not been allowed to bring their own containers for take-away meals or drinks due to hygienic concerns.