Press release from | No. 48/2022

Companies soon to assume costs for disposal of single-use plastic products

Whether coffee-to-go cups or cigarette butts, too much single-use plastic is landing on our streets and in parks. Cities and municipalities in particular incur costs of up to 434 million euros per year for collection and cleaning, says a study by the German Environment Agency (UBA). New EU regulation states that the manufacturers of single-use products will have to bear these costs. read more

Press release from | No. 47/2022

Aktion Biotonne Deutschland (German organic waste campaign) launches a “28-day organic waste bin challenge” for citizens.

auf einem Gehweg steht vor einer grünen Hecke eine braune Mülltonne, auf der "Bioabfälle" steht und aus der Gartenabfälle herausgucken

A coalition of policymakers, business and associations is running “Action weeks for organic waste bins in Germany” to advocate for improvements in the collection of organic waste. For four weeks from 7 November 2022, the spotlight will be on local authorities in Germany as they run campaigns on the ground to promote the separate collection of organic waste. read more

Press release from | No. 45/2022

E-Waste Day: a plea for proper disposal of electrical and electronic equipment

old electrical appliances, such as PC, computer screen and laptop

Too much waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is still being disposed of improperly in Germany. A German Environment Agency (UBA) analysis found that some 86,000 tonnes per year land in the general waste bin instead of being recycled as prescribed. Germany’s recycling rate unfortunately still falls short of meeting the EU minimum recovery rate requirement of 65 percent. read more

Press release from | No. 44/2022

Only ten percent of Germany’s water ecologically intact, despite progress made

Lake with reed belt and jetty

Currently, only slightly less than ten percent of rivers, lakes and coastal waters are in good ecological condition. Although this is a slight improvement over 2015, Germany still faces major challenges. According to the EU Water Framework Directive, water bodies should be "good" in terms of chemistry, ecology and – in the case of groundwater – also in terms of available quantity by 2027. read more

The Umweltbundesamt

For our environment