Erfurt (dpa/th) - According to the industry association Dehoga, the obligation to return food and drink to go in the catering trade, which has been in force since the beginning of the year, is causing confusion among many Thuringian restaurateurs. "We have received an extremely large number of inquiries about this," said Dehoga state manager Dirk Ellinger on Tuesday of the German Press Agency. Since January 1, restaurants, bistros and cafés that sell takeaway food and drinks must also offer these products in reusable packaging. This is to reduce the amount of waste.
The innkeepers are basically open to it, said Ellinger. "We are against mountains of rubbish." Companies are unclear about the scope of the regulation, for example, but also about hygiene aspects and possible liability issues in this context. "How are you supposed to check the hygiene of food containers that customers bring themselves - and who is liable for an upset stomach?" In addition, there is a risk of confusion from the various reusable systems on offer, which are also associated with different costs.
"In the end it will be a question of consumer acceptance," said Ellinger. This may be greater in cities than in rural areas. According to Dehoga, there are around 5,000 restaurants and hotels in Thuringia.
According to the new regulation passed by the Bundestag, the reuse obligation must be observed by all those who sell packaging filled with food or drinks outside the home: restaurants, cafés, bistros, but also canteens, petrol stations, supermarkets or catering companies.
Excluded from the amendment are smaller shops such as snack bars, late sales outlets and kiosks, in which a maximum of five employees work and which at the same time have a retail area of no more than 80 square meters. Here, however, guests have the opportunity to have their food and drinks filled in reusable containers they have brought with them. The same product in reusable packaging must not be more expensive than in disposable packaging.
