The Union and SPD are planning a new plastic packaging tax from 2027

The Union and SPD parliamentary groups are planning a new tax on plastic. This emerges from a draft for a plastic packaging tax law, which the dpa news agency quotes and which is based on a decision by the federal government in July. From July 2027, 550 euros will be due for every ton of plastic in packaging.

According to the draft, plastic packaging and films as well as composite packaging should be taxable if their plastic content is more than five percent. This includes, among other things, films, transport and packaging materials, closures, lids and plastic capsules. The tax should, among other things, be due when producing or importing corresponding packaging.

“The introduction of an excise tax on plastic packaging is intended to create incentives to reduce the consumption of plastic packaging,” says the draft law. According to this, around three million tons of plastic packaging waste was generated in 2023.