Sunday May 30th 2021
Reduce plastic waste
Deutsche Bahn switches to wooden cutlery
Deutsche Bahn wants to become more sustainable. From June, passengers will therefore receive cutlery made of wood instead of plastic. Waste separation in stations and trains is also being revised.
Deutsche Bahn wants to reduce plastic waste on trains. From June, customers will receive wooden cutlery for to-go products in on-board catering instead of plastic cutlery. This means that the railway is using a renewable raw material for around half a million cutlery per year, the company announced in Berlin.
In addition, the waste separation in the stations and trains is to be simplified and thus made more efficient. In the future, waste bins will be converted to double separation from the current four-way separation. A distinction should only be made between paper on the one hand and mixed waste on the other. The railway hopes that this will enable better utilization of recyclable materials.
At present, frequent incorrect throw-ins are making it difficult to separate and recycle valuable materials. In future, certified service providers will sort by glass, metal and plastics as well as recycling. In the future, 85 percent of the waste should be available for recycling as cleanly separated reusable materials. According to the railway, around 60,000 tons of waste are produced each year.
“Smart alternatives to plastic as well as improved recycling protect our planet and show responsibility towards future generations,” said company boss Richard Lutz. “In the European Year of the Rails 2021, a new system of waste separation and disposal at DB is also the right step on the way to even more sustainability.”
The new measures complement the existing portfolio for more environmental and climate protection. This includes, among other things, reusable offers in the trains and in the company canteens, 100 percent microplastic-free soap in long-distance and regional transport and the recycling of rails, ballast and sleepers.
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