Beer crates are on the verge of extinction, billions of returnable bottles have to be destroyed – that's what the Brewers' Association fears if the new EU rules are implemented.
Kassel – The EU is planning new rules for deposit systems and packaging. In 2021, the EU-wide ban on single-use plastic already came into force. Now, in the future, a uniform system is to apply in all member states and reduce packaging waste. Arguably a big step towards sustainability. However, this would also mean that billions of returnable bottles would have to be destroyed – at least that's what the German Brewers' Association fears.
German Brewers' Association (DBB) | |
---|---|
Legal form | Registered association |
Seat | Berlin |
Manager | Holger Eichele |
EU's new deposit system: "All reusable bottles would have to be melted down"
The association sees the existence of previously used reusable systems in Germany at risk. "If the EU's plans become reality, we would have to melt down all reusable bottles. This madness must be prevented," Holger Eichele, Managing Director of the Federal Government, told the Bild newspaper.
Beer bottles are particularly affected by this. "80 percent of beer in Germany is sold in reusable bottles," says Eichele. In a letter, several beverage associations criticize the draft of the European Parliament. It is true that the EU's goal of strengthening reusable packaging and reducing resource consumption is an "ambitious project". But the critics see major weaknesses in this. At a crucial point, the proposal undermines environmental protection "in an absurd way," it said.
"The classic German beer crate on the brink of extinction" – EU wants to revolutionise deposit system
For example, the EU is calling for "permanently affixed labelling" to reusable packaging. This would mean that previous bottles with washable labels would have to be destroyed, the associations explained. Transport crates are also likely to be on the verge of extinction. The EU's goal of limiting the air in packaging will make the transport and storage of reusable bottles impossible in the future.
German beverage associations fear that with the new EU rules for deposit systems and packaging, beer crates would be on the verge of extinction. © Michael Gstettenbauer/imago
"The EU plan requires that the transport packaging of a product is no more than 40 percent larger than the product itself. In the case of beer, this would mean that the classic German beer crate would be on the verge of extinction, would have to be shredded and destroyed," Dirk Reinsberg, board member of the Federal Association of German Beverage Wholesalers, told Bild.
EU-wide deposit system? Brewers demand exemption
In principle, the associations see "the positive approach that the EU Commission is pursuing with its draft regulation," it continued. However, Germany has "the largest and most successful reusable system in Europe," Eichele emphasized. Aldi, for example, tested new XXL deposit machines. So there is a need for exemptions for existing deposit systems, Reinsberg demanded. "If the EU wants more reusables, it must not throw successful and well-functioning reusable systems overboard."
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As can be seen from the letter from the associations, the reusable quotas in Germany are "far above" the targets set by the EU for 2040. Recently, however, brewers complained that bottles were coming back too slowly – a deposit of ten euros per crate was under discussion. This is due, among other things, to the large selection of different bottles. According to the consumer magazine Chip, there are more than 100 different types in circulation. That's why many empty bottles often travel long distances to their dispensing brewery.
In the face of inflation, beer prices in Germany have risen. A brewery association predicts the "most expensive beer garden summer of all time". (kas)