Umweltbundesamt
Since 2024, manufacturers of single-use plastic products such as cigarette filters, drinks cups and film packaging have had to contribute to the costs of waste disposal in parks and streets. This involves companies paying an annual levy into a fund managed by the German Environment Agency. read more
Consumption of packaging in Germany fell by 675,000 tonnes to 19 million tonnes in 2022. This corresponds to a decrease of 3.4 per cent compared to the previous year. read more
Leisure activities are important for our well-being and quality of life. We meet friends, pursue our hobbies or go travelling. These activities are linked to the use of natural resources. This project analyses the consumption of raw materials and greenhouse gases and develops a framework for action for a resource-efficient and climate-friendly leisure sector. read more
The Single-Use Plastic Fund Act obliges manufacturers, from 2024, to bear the costs of single-use plastic products collected as waste in streets or parks. While the digital platform DIVID, set up by the UBA, was initially only available for the registration of manufacturers in Germany, eligible parties and foreign manufacturers have also been able to register there since 1 August 2024. read more
German government statistics concerning transfrontier shipment of wastes show that such transactions mainly involve neighboring countries, with the lion’s share of waste originating from the relevant border regions. The mean transport distance between the location at which waste originates and its recovery or disposal destination is less than 500 kilometers. read more
On May 14, 2024 at the IFAT trade fair in Munich, Bettina Hoffmann, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Environment Ministry, honoured several local authorities for their commitment to better organic waste collection. read more
The Single-Use Plastics Fund Act, passed on 15 May 2023, obliges manufacturers to bear the costs for the collection of their single-use plastic products when discarded as waste in streets or parks from 2024. The German Environment Agency is setting up the digital platform DIVID to manage and process the levies that companies must pay into the Single-Use Plastic Fund. read more
NonHazCity 3 is a European project under the framework of the EU Interreg Program for the Baltic Sea Region. The project aims to reduce hazardous substances in the construction sector and to support circular construction. A NonHazCity Building Award will be given to celebrate the most effective laws and policies for non-hazardous buildings – nominations are welcome! Deadline is the 15th June 2024. read more
The UBA’s motto, For our environment (“Für Mensch und Umwelt”), sums up our mission pretty well, we feel. In this video we give an insight into our work.
