BERLIN, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- 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 Wednesday.
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 percent of almost 700 catering establishments inspected across the country, Greenpeace said.
U.S. 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.
Germany's takeaway sector currently generates around 770 metric tons 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 European Union (EU) banned the production of disposable plastic products such as cutlery, cotton buds, and to-go cups. ■