Since January 2022, the German city of Tübingen has been charging 60¢ for nearly every piece of disposable “to-go” packaging — every coffee cup, every pizza box, every burger wrapper — and 25¢ for throwaway cutlery and straws. The city's goal was simple: Make single-use packaging just inconvenient enough that people would start thinking twice. The aim of the packaging tax is to avoid waste altogether. That’s why it applies to all disposable packaging, regardless of the material. Compostable cups get no discount because from the city’s perspective, single-use is single-use. Known for its picturesque old town with cobblestone streets, Tübingen attracts up to 2 million visitors every year. Home to around 90,000 residents, it manages to be “hip” while preserving its traditions. However, by the late 2010s, the postcard image was increasingly marred by disposable coffee cups stuffed into trash cans, pizza boxes wedged beside them, and plastic lids and forks scattered on church steps. So, after consulting with local businesses, city officials tried something different: A local packaging tax. Businesses selling food or drinks for immediate consumption pay tax to the city. Whether they pass the cost on to customers is their choice. Four years after the rollout, Tübingen’s experience shows that a packaging tax works. The use of reusable containers in the city has quadrupled, and 75% of eateries have reduced their single-use packaging. The city offers almost $600 for businesses introducing reusable packaging systems and up to double that toward commercial dishwashers. They have even introduced a reusable pizza box with a $6 deposit. As for the city, the extra revenue they have saved funds street cleaning, waste management and environmental programs. The system has proven to be a win-win for everyone involved.
