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In North Rhine-Westphalia, a packaging tax is under discussion, targeting single-use packaging like coffee cups and takeaway containers. This levy is modelled on a similar tax already implemented in Túbingen. However, a study in Túbingen suggests that the packaging tax may not be an effective solution for reducing waste.
Thomas Gǘtgens, Managing Director of the Association of Craftsmen, supports local environmental partnerships and targeted information campaigns. Yet, his organisation has joined a statewide appeal against the packaging tax. Gǘtgens argues that the tax hits small and medium-sized craft businesses particularly hard as they cannot absorb the additional costs.
The businesses primarily affected by this tax are those in the food trade, such as bakeries, butchers, confectioneries, and cafés. The Association of Craftsmen contends that such measures strengthen environmental awareness without bureaucratic overload.
The main arguments against the packaging tax in North Rhine-Westphalia typically include increased financial burden on small and medium-sized craft businesses, competitive disadvantage, administrative complexity and compliance costs, potential negative effects on product pricing and demand, and the risk of discouraging sustainable packaging innovation.
The Association of Craftsmen invites citizens, businesses, and decision-makers to support the packaging tax petition, which can be found online at www.no-to-packaging-tax.de. The Association of Craftsmen in Lower Rhine also opposes the implementation of the packaging tax.
Gǘtgens states that the Association advocates for voluntary, customer-oriented, and practical sustainable packaging solutions. He aims to set a clear signal against an immature and economically hostile tax. The lack of tailored information or analysis on the regional impact of packaging taxes on craft businesses in North Rhine-Westphalia suggests a gap in publicly available reporting on this matter.
If you need more detailed or region-specific arguments, consulting local business associations in North Rhine-Westphalia or studies from economic think tanks focusing on SME impacts may provide further insight.
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