C2 Background
AGVU discusses new impulses for the circular economy after the federal election in Germany
New ways, but also existing hurdles for a faster closing of material cycles in packaging were put to the test in a panel discussion with expert politicians from the opposition parties – Judith Skudelny (FDP – Liberal Party)), Dr Bettina Hoffmann (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen – Green Party) and Ralph Lenkert MdB (Die Linke – Left Party).
Holistic approach demanded
The tension between strict detailed regulation on the one hand and an approach oriented towards fixed goals with a high degree of self-responsibility of the economy on the other hand became particularly clear. A newly published paper by AGVU and IK Industrievereinigung Kunststoffverpackungen on increasing the use of recycled plastics in plastic packaging sees the solution in a holistic approach: "A new federal government must put the use of more recycled plastics high on its to-do list and pursue a threefold strategy of increasing the quantity and quality of recycled plastics, dismantling legal obstacles and introducing a well thought-out funding model," emphasises AGVU chairman Dr.Carl Dominik Klepper.Keynote speaker Dr Marc-Oliver Pahl, secretary general of the German Council for Sustainable Development, had previously outlined the recommendations of the body advising the German government: "We must make rapid progress in the circular economy in the interests of conserving raw materials and protecting the climate. The packaging industry can and must also make a contribution here, especially through packaging avoidance, more deposit solutions and more use of recycled materials."
