October 10, 2024, 10:59 am | Read time: 6 minutes
On average, every German produces 220.5 kilos of packaging waste in a year—far too much! If you want to live an environmentally conscious life today, you can’t avoid separating your waste. But the amount of waste we produce can also be easily reduced. myHOMEBOOK spoke to Philipp Sommer, a waste expert at Deutsche Umwelthilfe.
What many people don’t know: The so-called yellow bag is part of the “dual system” in Germany. Unlike normal residual or paper waste, the disposal costs for packaging waste are not borne by consumers but by industry and trade. In many German municipalities, the yellow bags are distributed on a rationed basis, i.e., at the beginning of the year, you receive a certain number of bin liners with coupons.
And you have to make do with that. In Switzerland, every bag of waste that needs to be disposed of costs money. In the city of Bern in 2018, for example, 10 bags of 35 liters each cost around 12.30 euros, so avoiding waste with the tips from Philipp Sommer from Deutsche Umwelthilfe is also worthwhile in financial terms.
1. Avoid disposable products
The easiest way to do this is with drinks, explains Sommer: “In Germany, we have the peculiarity that there are drinks in reusable and disposable bottles, but both have a deposit.” So which one to choose? The expert recommends opting for reusable bottles – whether plastic or glass.
“This is definitely the more environmentally friendly choice because these bottles are refilled several times,” Sommer clarifies. You should also buy yogurt in a returnable jar. This also eliminates the hassle of separating the aluminum lid, paper label, and plastic cup.
Anyone who thinks they are doing something good for the environment by using disposable glass bottles is, unfortunately, mistaken. Sorting and recycling broken glass consumes significantly more energy than cleaning a reusable bottle.
Even with camping and plastic tableware, you can buy plastic or metal tableware that you can use several times.
2. Pay attention to reusability when ordering
“More and more restaurants in various cities are offering take-away boxes that can be returned to participating restaurants for a deposit and can be reused after cleaning.”
Philipp Sommer
Reusable deposit cups are also becoming increasingly popular for coffee-to-go. This is not only environmentally conscious but also saves money. Many stores then offer a discount. So, the next time you order from a delivery service, be sure to check the options for how the food is delivered. If you order via an internet service, you can often choose between different delivery options. Participating restaurants often draw attention to the reusable delivery option. Unfortunately, there is not yet a list of those who are already participating in the various systems.
Similar systems are even slowly gaining acceptance in shopping: The first online retailers are already testing reusable order boxes from the Finnish start-up “RePack.” Although this idea is only catching on with smaller retailers with an online store, shipping giant Amazon is also at least trying to reduce waste with its “frustration-free packaging.”
3. Use cloth bags for shopping
“One of the simplest steps is to always pack a backpack or cloth bag when you go shopping.” More and more people are using shopping bags that they can use again and again. “Now we just need to replace paper bags with low-waste reusable bags,” says Sommer. Because they are actually only used once.
4. Fruit and vegetables rarely need packaging
“Fruit and vegetables generally don’t need to be packaged,” says Sommer. Fruits are naturally protected by their skins. You should definitely avoid the small plastic bags in the fruit and vegetable section anyway, as these usually end up straight in the garbage can at home. “More and more stores are also selling special, small cloth bags for fruit and vegetables,” says Sommer. These cloth bags are reusable, recyclable, and easy to clean.
5. Use storage boxes when shopping
“Almost all supermarkets now accept this. You can then easily put your sausage, meat, cheese, and delicatessen salads directly into a Tupperware box without any additional packaging. This way, there is no additional waste,” explains Sommer.
Bread, bread rolls, cakes, and pastries from the bakery can also easily be placed directly into a container or bag that you bring with you.
6. Pay attention to recyclable packaging
Sometimes it’s just not possible to buy products without packaging. Then you should at least make sure that the packaging materials can be recycled. “It’s not that easy to recognize, but you should avoid composite packaging, for example, or separate the different materials when disposing of it.”
Philipp Sommer
Also, look for packaging with a high proportion of recycled materials. This is usually written on the back of the packaging. Some seals, such as the “Blue Angel” or “flustix” for plastic-free packaging, also provide information about this. “If reusable packaging is not possible, the use of recycled materials is important for an improved eco-balance,” explains the waste expert.
7. Buy concentrates in powder form
Powder detergent is much better for the environment than liquid detergent – and saves you from overflowing garbage cans. “Concentrates last longer – so you buy less and produce less waste,” says Sommer. Another tip from him: “Buy refill packs.” Their packaging is often smaller and less expensive.
8. Pay attention to the type of packaging
The best example is chocolate. As Sommer explains: “There are often varieties that are double-wrapped in plastic or wrapped in paper. Expensive varieties, in particular, have additional aluminum foil. A single piece of plastic packaging would be sufficient – and even this can be avoided with the right concept.”
Because it is possible to do without, products can be either wrapped in paper or a single layer of foil. Incidentally, twice wrapped in paper is no better than twice wrapped in foil: “In terms of environmental impact, there’s not much difference,” explains Sommer. Paper packaging consumes more energy and water, for example. “Double packaging always means an additional burden,” says Sommer.
We should pay much more attention to how products are packaged. The less additional packaging, the better. Take toothpaste, for example, where the tube is often still in a box. Simply buy one without additional packaging.
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9. Try out ‘package-free’ stores
If you want to avoid packaging completely, it’s best to shop in so-called unpackaged stores. “However, there aren’t very many of these in Germany yet,” says Sommer. However, once you have found one in your city, you can get everything you would in a regular supermarket – just without the packaging. You can fill flour, pasta, rice, or muesli directly into jars, tins, and other reusable containers. And save a lot of waste. Best of all, the storage containers and jars also look great in your kitchen!