Kaufland raises a bag fee: environmentalists raise the alarm!

Kaufland raises a bag fee: environmentalists raise the alarm!

Kaufland causes a stir with a new measure: From this year, customers will have to pay a fee for disposable plastic bags when buying fruit and vegetables. These so-called OUG bags, which are used for the packaging of fresh vegetables, ensure considerable plastic waste-in 2021, according to the Federal Statistical Office, 2.25 billion of these bags were used up in Germany. According to Julia Herrmann, head of the goods business at Kaufland, the fee should stimulate customers to use disposable plastic more consciously and promote the changeover to sustainable alternatives. But the German Environmental Aid (DUH) does not leave good hair on this measure.

drastic criticism of environmentalists

Barbara Metz, federal manager of the DUH, expresses itself vehemently against the introduction of the fee in a press release. In her opinion, it was unbelievable to sell this measure as environmental protection, since the amount of a cent is not sufficient to achieve a significant steering effect. Metz demands at least 20 cents per bag to cause real change in behavior. She also criticizes that Kaufland wants to continue to sell the plastic bags until its ban in 2030 instead of immediately removing them from the range, which represents an example of "Greenwashing".

The decision of Kaufland does not come as a surprise, because in 2019 Aldi introduced a similar fee for plastic bags. While many retailers such as Edeka and Rewe rely on reusable solutions, Kaufland defends its approach because it is part of a long-term sustainability strategy. The implementation of this strategy is accompanied by skepticism, since critics question the actual environmental benefit of this measure. It remains to be seen how customers react to the new regulation and whether Kaufland adapts its strategy in view of the violent criticism.

For interested customers who do not want to do without plastic bags, there are alternatives such as jute bags that are more environmentally friendly. While Kaufland thus initiates a change, the discussion about the actual effectiveness of this measure remains lively and controversial, as well as [infranken.de] (https://www.infranken.de/ratberger/kaufland-tuten-einwelztik-weltschutz-dautzel-plastiktel-Berbot-tmr-tmr-tmr- 6006460) reported.

Berlin Live