Bundestag factions are planning a new tax on plastic packaging

The CDU/CSU and SPD parliamentary groups are planning a new tax on plastic. According to the draft, from July 2027, 550 euros will be due for every ton of plastic in packaging. This emerges from a draft law that is based on a decision by the federal government in July.

This means that plastic packaging could become more expensive for companies from next year. Plastic packaging, films and composite packaging should therefore be subject to tax if their plastic content is more than five percent. The tax should be incurred when the corresponding packaging is manufactured, shipped or imported. The tax can be waived for packaging made from recycled plastic upon application.

Encouragement from environmental aid

According to the draft, the consumption tax is intended to create incentives to reduce the consumption of plastic packaging. The law is also intended to generate additional revenue for the federal budget. Additional tax revenue of 805 million euros is expected for 2027. According to the calculations, from 2028 the additional income could be almost 1.5 billion euros annually.

German Environmental Aid welcomed the initiative. However, it must be ensured that the tax remains limited to disposable packaging and is not levied on reusable packaging, explained a spokeswoman for the organization. To this end, the consumption tax should be expanded to cover paper, cardboard, cardboard and metals such as aluminum and tinplate to prevent a shift to other packaging materials, it said.

Rejection from the economy

In response to the draft, business associations wrote a letter to Chancellery Minister Nina Warken (CDU). In it they warned that this tax would be introduced “in a fast-track process” without departmental involvement or a cabinet decision. The associations demanded that the Chancellery must stop the Federal Ministry of Finance here. Signatories include, among others, the food industry, the trade association and the plastic packaging industry.