The catering industry sees many companies facing considerable problems due to the obligation to offer reusable food that has been in force since the beginning of the year. "The industry is not blocking this challenge," said Ingrid Hartges, general manager of the hotel and restaurant association Dehoga. However, practical solutions are now needed. Some guidelines from the authorities were only announced for February. "We still lack qualified information here," said Hartges.
Dehoga is already working with initiatives that are intended to enable a uniform return system. The environmental organization Greenpeace is also calling for a so-called pool system in which reusable containers can be handed in anywhere.
Hartges pointed out the difficult situation of many companies. "Since March 2020, many restaurants have been fighting for their bare existence." Today, the energy crisis, rising costs and the shortage of workers are added to this. "Against this background, the obligation to offer multiple channels is a major challenge for everyone involved." It is therefore important to tackle the problems objectively and constructively.
Specifications are often ignored
Greenpeace has indications that many restaurants do not yet offer their customers reusable packaging. In the first two weeks of the year, Greenpeace supporters were called upon to check compliance with the new rules in fast food chains, snack bars and restaurants. The result: Many companies do not follow the guidelines according to Greenpeace.
Since the beginning of the year, customers have had the right to receive their to-go food and drinks in reusable packaging. This is what the so-called multi-way offer obligation says. From now on, there must be a reusable alternative for drinks of all kinds. It only has to be offered for food where disposable packaging is made of plastic.
Greenpeace employee Viola Wohlgemuth warned that instead of plastic, there could now be large mountains of paper waste. In addition, packaging made of paper, for which no reusable alternative is required by law, is often coated with plastic. In a next step, Greenpeace will therefore work with a laboratory to check whether the paper packaging is actually only made of paper. McDonalds, for example, relies on the paper alternative.
Greenpeace is asking countries to review the new law in restaurants. Anyone who violates the new regulations risks a fine of up to 10,000 euros.
