Berlin. At the press conference at the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Svenja Schulze, the Federal Minister for the Environment, presented a five-point plan for less plastic in everyday life. She wants to introduce a so-called "trend reversal" in the handling of plastic so that an environmentally conscious approach to plastic waste becomes even more attractive to consumers. For the plan, Schulze is primarily trying to reach voluntary agreements with retailers and create EU-wide regulations.
Contents of the five-point plan against plastic waste
Included in the politician's five-point plan is the following:
- Tap water: Tap water should be available in all cities in Germany in the future. Tap water is significantly better for the environment than the water from plastic bottles. Citizens do not have to worry about the quality of water - tap water is monitored by the waterworks.
- Packaging in the trade: Unnecessary plastic packaging, such as for cucumbers and bananas, will be a thing of the past. At the beginning of the year, the SPD politician wants to start a dialog with retailers to find a solution to the packaging problem.
- Long life: Schulze wants manufacturers to have to specify a service life for their product. In this way, consumers can opt for longevity when selecting various products. In addition, products should become more recyclable and repairable.
- Strengthen reputation of recycled plastic: Schulz also wants to start a dialogue with manufacturers about the reputation of recycled plastic so that manufacturers use more recycled plastic in production in the future.
- Impart knowledge: Above all, Schulze wants to support countries that produce a lot of plastic waste in setting up collection and recycling systems. A budget of around 50 million euros has been set aside for this project over the next decade.
Critics stress that Schulze's ideas are by no means new and that the plan does not contain any particular innovations to the EU plan against plastic waste.
Cover photo: © german press agency
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