January 8, 2026
More packaging waste is to be recycled. However, in its amendment to the Packaging Act, the Federal Environment Ministry only wants to open two doors slightly for a better functioning circular economy: one for truly high-quality material recycling and one for chemical recycling, which would supply the chemical industry with raw materials for new plastics. The ministry thus continues to favor “downcycling.”
Read more about this in the latest article by Prof. Dr. Uwe Lahl in VDI energie + umwelt magazine.