The German Federal Environment Agency (UBA) proposes that operators of online marketplaces should be obliged to ensure compliance with the Packaging Act on their platforms. “Digital marketplaces can also do more for environmental protection. We therefore recommend that in future, all online platforms must check before selling goods whether the sellers have complied with the obligation to sign up with the Packaging Register. This should be entrenched in legislation,” said UBA President Dirk Messner, according to a UBA press release dated 18 November 2020.
Since 1 January 2019, manufacturers of packaging that typically accumulates as waste on private final consumers’ premises have been obliged to sign up with the Packaging Register. They will then share in the costs of collection and recycling. So far, almost 200,000 companies have registered, which is an increase of just over 17 per cent compared to 2019. This means that today around three times as many companies are meeting their product responsibility obligations than was the case only four years ago.
If you have any questions on the German Packaging Act, the take-e-way GmbH consultants will be pleased to assist you. Call +49/40/750687-0 or send an e-mail to beratung@take-e-way.de.
The press release by the German Federal Environment Agency is available here: https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/presse/pressemitteilungen/verpackungsmuell-onlinemarktplaetze-muessen-besser
