EU regulation - Tethered caps for bottles now mandatory
To reduce plastic waste in the environment, loose lids on certain beverages have been banned in Germany since today for single-use packaging whose lids are made of plastic – such as juice cartons or single-use PET bottles – with a volume up to three liters. Glass or metal, as well as reusable beverage containers, are reportedly exempted from this requirement according to the Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMUV).
The reason for introducing "fixed lids" is a directive of the European Union (EU). According to the ministry, a study underlies this directive, which states that plastic lids are among the most frequently found plastic waste at EU beaches.
Many consumers are already familiar with the lids as the regulation that sets the requirements in Germany came into force on July 3, 2021, with a three-year transition period. "Many companies have gradually adapted their beverage packaging to meet the new requirements since then," the authority states.
Containers that do not meet the new requirements but have already been on the market before the deadline can still be sold according to the Environment Ministry (BMUV) without time limitations.
No concrete numbers on plastic waste reduction yet
However, some people are annoyed by the new lids. "The BMUV is aware that consumers do not only see the fixed lids positively," says a spokeswoman from the ministry. The goal of the directive is to protect the environment through minor measures. That's why fixed lids on certain beverage containers are necessary.
Neither the ministry nor the Federal Environment Agency have figures on how much plastic waste could be reduced by the new regulation. The German government plans to evaluate the implementation of the new regulation in 2027 according to the Environment Ministry.
Criticism from Consumer Central
Philip Heldt, resource conservation expert at Consumer Central North Rhine-Westphalia, is not convinced by the new screw-on lids: "I see the change in closure type as ineffective." According to him, the law misses the core problem. "We consume too many single-use products," Heldt says. "Changing lids doesn't help the environment at all."
According to the expert, the new lids consume more material in many cases than the old lids. Heldt believes that clear requirements are necessary – for example, a regulation to reduce the hollow spaces in products and thus reduce packaging waste. Prohibitions on unnecessary overpackaging such as cartons for toothpaste would also lead to material savings and environmental relief.
- The ban on loose plastic lids for certain beverages in single-use packaging applies across Europe due to an EU directive, as reported by the Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMUV) in Germany.
- German consumers have had three years to adjust to the new regulation that bans plastic lids on certain beverages, as it came into effect on July 3, 2021.
- Glass or metal containers, as well as reusable beverage containers, are exempted from the requirement to use fixed lids, according to the BMUV.
- Containers that do not meet the new requirements but were already on the market before the deadline can still be sold without limitations, the ministry states.
- Philip Heldt, a resource conservation expert at Consumer Central North Rhine-Westphalia, criticizes the new screw-on lids, stating that changing lids does not help the environment since consumers use too many single-use products.
- According to Heldt, clear requirements should be enacted to reduce packaging waste, such as regulations to reduce hollow spaces in products and prohibitions on unnecessary overpackaging.
- The Environment Ministry (BMUV) and the Federal Environment Agency have not provided figures on how much plastic waste could be reduced by the new regulation, and the German government plans to evaluate the regulation's implementation in 2027.
