Suche
Mein Konto
Greifswald is planning a packaging tax: more expensive for fries and bratwurst?
Greifswald is planning a packaging tax to reduce waste. The initiative includes measures to improve cleanliness.
Greifswald is planning a packaging tax: more expensive for fries and bratwurst?
There is a lot of discussion in Greifswald about a new packaging tax that is intended to reduce waste in the city. Again Northern Courier reported, the Alliance 90/The Greens, CDU, SPD and the Left factions have submitted a draft resolution entitled “Clean City of Greifswald – For Improving Street Cleanliness”. Above all, more frequent emptying of trash cans and the installation of additional wastebaskets are on the agenda.
One of the central points of this proposal concerns the planned introduction of a packaging tax, which could come into force from January 1, 2026. A model for this project is the city of Tübingen, which has been levying a similar tax on disposable packaging since 2022. For example, a coffee cup there costs 50 cents. The city administration of Greifswald plans to examine the effects of this tax on various sales outlets and enter into discussions with the companies affected.
Expectations and concerns
Critics within Greifswald's citizens, including the AfD and parts of the CDU, reject the packaging tax and are calling for the issues of trash cans and taxes to be voted on separately. It remains to be seen whether the city council will take these concerns into account.
Other cities in the discourse
In Tübingen, which serves as a model for Greifswald, the packaging tax has been legally confirmed. The Federal Constitutional Court recognized the legality of the tax at the end of 2024. Other cities such as Heidelberg and Freiburg are discussing similar concepts, which shows that the topic is very popular nationwide. But while the municipalities are developing the new rules, companies have to be prepared for a variety of different statutes and tax rates, which increases the economic burden.
The packaging tax is intended not only to reduce packaging waste, but also to promote the use of reusable packaging. But there are doubts about the actual effectiveness of these waste prevention measures. In theory, the income from the tax should help finance the costs of waste disposal, but there is no statutory earmarking.
The additional bureaucratic effort is a particular challenge for companies. Companies must provide evidence of the type of use the packaging is used, while municipalities, in case of doubt, check whether this is correct according to the new rules. The Datev emphasizes that although the regulations contain a few paragraphs, they entail a lot of interpretive advice and detailed regulations that can drag companies into an administrative maelstrom.
The IHK advocates for pragmatic solutions, for example through positive incentives for reusable packaging and the expansion of return and cleaning structures. It remains to be hoped that politicians and companies will pull together and find the best possible solutions. In the spirit of a clean and sustainable city.