Dear Reader,The website Distributing Drinking Water, Evaluation Criteria and Guidelineshas been updated as follows:Information on the evaluation of starting substances for the production of cementitious materials in contact with drinking water - Version 3Your department for Drinking Water and Swimming Pool Water Hygiene at UBA. read more
Newsletter "UBA aktuell" - No.: 5/2022
Dear readers,What large supermarket chains offer in their assortment, what they advertise and how they refrigerate their goods is important with regard to environmental and climate protection. But how sustainable are the operations of the eight food retail companies with the highest turnover in Germany? Read more in this newsletter issue.Wishing you an interesting read,The Press Office of the Germ... read more
Oder fish die-off: Salt discharges caused mass proliferation of toxic alga
![photo of the river](https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/sites/default/files/styles/800w550h/public/medien/2546/bilder/oder_fluss_uckermark_bildquelle_marcorudolf_adobestock.jpeg?itok=hlPT658y&c=2a33576bc151ad85222a988b8ddcfd00)
According to the German expert group report published on September 30, 2022, the most probable cause of the fish die-off in the River Oder is the rapid rise in salinity, which together with other factors led to the mass proliferation of a brackish water alga that is poisonous to fish. read more
Pandemic triggered slight decline in 2020 packaging consumption in Germany
![Separated packaging in the household, collected in boxes. Glass, cardboard, plastic, etc.](https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/sites/default/files/styles/800w550h/public/medien/2546/bilder/recycling_abfall_muelltrennung_bildautor_rawpixel.com_fotolia_176041385_l.jpg?itok=ZkMP7owE&c=8f5beeb9a6d0bf4478fd3fb3b40e450d)
The coronavirus pandemic led to a slight decrease in packaging consumption in Germany in 2020, marking the first decline since 2009. Total packaging waste in 2020 was 18.8 million tonnes, or 0.7 per cent less than in 2019. Per capita, this is 1.7 kg less than the average 225.8 kg. read more
Sustainability at the supermarket: retailers not tapping their full potential
![Supermarket](https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/sites/default/files/styles/800w550h/public/medien/2294/bilder/elasticcomputefarm-pixabay-mehrnachhaltigkeitbeisupermaerktenistnoetig-highres.jpg?itok=wiapPxSJ&c=35f92cf8631b7b260d7063b36cc91f22)
The food retailing sector is taking action to promote environmental protection. Examples include store organic brands, a larger selection of vegan products or energy efficiency increases in their food outlets and business offices. On the whole, the companies studied could make much greater use of their influence and scope for action, says a recent study by the German Environment Agency (UBA). read more
Rotor blade recycling from A to Z
![Windenergieanlagen auf einem Feld.](https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/sites/default/files/styles/800w550h/public/medien/2546/bilder/windkraftanlagen_pedrosala_fotolia_83126050_m.jpg?itok=s6BQaU_f&c=1ae3dba35b563c5b61d465c412475b9c)
Wind turbine rotor blades are made of fibre composites and have been disposed of in very different ways up to now. The German Environment Agency (UBA) now presents a comprehensive overview of the sustainable use and waste processing of rotor blades. read more
Expert information drinking water and swimming pool water - No.: 11/2022
Dear Reader,The website Distributing Drinking Water, Evaluation Criteria and Guidelineshas been updated as follows:-3rd Amendment-Evaluation criteria document for plastics and other organic materialsPolymer-specific annexes to the evaluation criteria document for plastics and other organic materialsThe documents are now available in English.Your department for Drinking Water and Swimming Pool Wate... read more
German Environment Agency assisting Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania with research on causes of the Oder River crisis
![The river Elbe in the foreground with trees on the bank and blue sky.](https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/sites/default/files/styles/800w550h/public/medien/421/bilder/elbe_jonas_stoll_1.jpg?itok=nfiq6Xsl)
Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke has commissioned the German Environment Agency to collect all available data, tip-offs and hypotheses concerning the mass die-off of fish in the Oder river and carry out a systematic evaluation of the information with experts from other authorities in Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. read more