New legislation

Mandatory reusables for to-go and take-away

Starting in January 2023, caterers, delivery services, and restaurants will be required to offer reusable containers as an alternative to single-use containers for take-away and delivery food and drinks. The aim is to reduce plastic waste.

The reusable option must not be more expensive than the same product in a disposable package.

The German Packaging Act (VerpackG), with the amendment that came into force on 03.07.2022, transposes the European Packaging Directive 94/62/EC into German law. It regulates the placing on the market of packaging and the take-back and high-quality recovery of packaging waste. The "mandatory offer of reusable packaging" according to §§ 33 and 34 VerpackG for take-away and delivery food and drinks is meant to help avoid waste, save resources, and protect the environment.

An exception is supposed to be made for small businesses - such as snack bars - with a maximum of five employees and a maximum of 80 square meters of sales area. They should be able to fill food and drinks into containers brought by the customers. They should clearly point out this possibility to their customers. The responsibility for dealing with customer-owned containers lies with the consumers and the food companies. The customers should pay attention to the cleanliness of their container as well as the hygiene and distance on site. If the container brought along is dirty, it can be rejected by the restaurateur.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE:
The lid should remain with the guest to minimize the risk of contamination from foreign objects behind the counter.
Ideally, the guest should not place their container on the counter, but on a freshly disinfected tray.
If possible, a separate area and special materials for filling should be set up.