A Germany-based association known as Die Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) has endorsed a European Union tax or fee on the “non-recycled plastic waste” disposed of by member states. The levy on non-recycled discarded plastic is part of the larger EU COVID-19 recovery plan agreed to on July 21. On page 65 of the 68-page document stemming from that agreement, a section on new EU treasury streams includes a reference to a new fee that “will be introduced and apply as of 1 January 2021, composed of a share of revenues from a national contribution calculated on the weight of nonrecycled plastic packaging waste, with a call rate of EUR 0.80 per kilogram with a mechanism to avoid excessively regressive impact on national contributions.”
This targeting of unrecycled plastic has been met with a warm reception from a German government environmental official, according to an article posted on the Europaticker website. “The new plastic levy is a strong motivation for member states to massively expand their recycling systems,” remarks Jochen Flasbarth, Germany’s State Secretary for Environment. “It will depend on a concrete design that is as unbureaucratic as possible and leads to less plastic waste.”
According to the DUH, the levied fee of 80 cents per kilogram is far too low. The group also says, “It is more effective to tax newly produced primary plastic in packaging when it is put into circulation.” In addition to the agreed upon tax, the DUH says it backs a tax of at least 20 cents on what it considers particularly problematic disposable items, such as plastic bottles, plastic bags and coffee to-go cups.
Source: Recycling Today
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