Manufacturers of single-use plastic products must register by 31 December | Umweltbundesamt

The Single-Use Plastic Fund Act, which was passed on May 15, 2023, obliges manufacturers to bear the costs of single-use plastic products that are collected as waste by local authorities in streets or parks from 2024. Since January 1, 2024, manufacturers of certain single-use plastic products have been legally obliged to pay a special levy into the Single-Use Plastic Fund for the single-use plastic products they place on the market. The fund will be settled in arrears, meaning that the first deposits and payments will be made in 2025 based on the data from 2024. The German Environment Agency ( UBA ) has set up the digital single-use plastics platform DIVID for the administration and processing of the Single-Use Plastics Fund, including payments to those entitled under public law.

Manufacturers who started their activities before January 1, 2024 must register on the DIVID online platform by December 31, 2024; for all others, this obligation applies from the start of their activities. Violations of the registration obligation constitute an administrative offence that can be sanctioned with fines of up to 100,000 euros. Manufacturers who do not fulfil their obligations are not allowed to continue selling their products in Germany. While failure to register will be prosecuted from January 2025, the UBA will check the completeness of the product range specified during registration from March 2025.

In order to inform the obligated manufacturers about the Single-Use Plastics Fund and the associated obligations, a wide range of information is provided on the DIVID homepage in the FAQ. It is also possible to carry out self-checks there if you are unsure whether you are affected and to submit, for a fee, requests for categorisation of products, product type and manufacturer status.