Berlin, Jan 19 (IANS): Half of German restaurants are not complying with a new law obliging them to offer reusable packaging for takeaway food and drinks, in force since the start of 2023, Greenpeace said.
Under the law, reusable packaging must be offered without extra charge, and customers informed with a clearly visible advertisement. However, these conditions were met by less than 24 per cent of nearly 700 catering establishments inspected across the country, Greenpeace added on Wednesday.
US fast food chains such as McDonald's and Burger King only offered reusable packaging for drinks and ice-cream, while Kentucky Fried Chicken did not even offer a reusable cup for drinks, Xinhua news agency reported.
Germany's takeaway sector currently generates around 770 metric ton of waste from disposable plastic packaging per day, according to the Ministry for the Environment (BMUV).
In addition, the production of plastics accounts for almost a quarter of all gas consumption by industry in Germany.
In mid-2021, the EU banned the production of disposable plastic products such as cutlery, cotton buds, and to-go cups.