Livelihood security has priority: reusable option is often missing: the gastronomy industry criticizes bashing

Livelihood security is a priority
Reusable option is often missing: the gastronomy industry criticizes bashing

Greenpeace is putting pressure on, environmental aid is complaining: There is a lot of criticism of the lack of reusable options in restaurants. Industry representatives ask for your understanding and refer to the hardships of the corona pandemic. Securing existence is currently simply a priority.

After environmentalists criticized the lack of reusable options in the catering industry, the industry demanded more understanding for its difficult situation. “It is undisputed that there is still a need for improvement and clarification,” said the general manager of the German Hotel and Restaurant Association (Dehoga), Ingrid Hartges, to the newspapers of the editorial network Germany (RND). There are also “many unanswered questions”.

However, the industry has been in crisis mode for three years and in view of this, she expects “understanding for some implementation deficits that still exist,” said the Dehoga boss. “In any case, we won’t get any further by bashing an industry and lawsuits against individual companies.”

The German Environmental Aid (DUH) had previously announced that it had initiated legal proceedings against catering chains that violated the obligation to offer reusable food and drinks, which has been in force since January 1st. According to its own statements, the DUH carried out test visits to 16 large restaurant chains and discovered violations in more than every third visit.

Since January 1, catering establishments in Germany that offer takeaway food and drinks must have a reusable option. There are different requirements for food and drinks. According to the law, companies that do not fulfill their obligations face fines of up to 10,000 euros.

Hartges told the RND it was still unclear what type of packaging would fall within the scope. “For legal clarity and legal certainty, we are urgently awaiting the guidelines that are currently being developed by experts from the federal and state governments and that have been announced for February,” she said.

She also made it clear: “Questions about securing livelihoods had and still have priority.” In addition to the consequences of the corona pandemic, there are now high costs for energy, food and staff. The sales of the companies are still well below the pre-crisis level.

source site-32