https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Germany in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed German lawmakers approved legislation Thursday banning disposable plastic products such as straws, cutlery and cotton buds that are polluting the world's oceans. https://www.thelocal.de/20200918/germany-to-ban-plastic-straws-by-mid-2021 Fri, 18 Sep 2020 11:06:20 +0200 germany-to-ban-plastic-straws-by-mid-2021 One company near Dresden has created an innovative approach to turn plastic waste into fuel - which it hopes to roll out throughout Germany and beyond. https://www.thelocal.de/20190705/trash-to-cash-how-an-east-germany-company-is-turning-plastic-into-fuel Fri, 05 Jul 2019 17:51:50 +0200 trash-to-cash-how-an-east-germany-company-is-turning-plastic-into-fuel Discount chain Aldi is to charge customers a fee for disposable fruit and vegetable bags in future as part of plans to cut down on plastic waste. https://www.thelocal.de/20190611/german-supermarket-chain-aldi-set-to-charge-for-fruit-and-veg-bags Tue, 11 Jun 2019 12:29:48 +0200 german-supermarket-chain-aldi-set-to-charge-for-fruit-and-veg-bags Both manufacturers and consumers could soon be hit with higher costs. But is that such a bad thing? https://www.thelocal.de/20190521/germany-proposes-extra-charge-for-disposable-coffee-cups Tue, 21 May 2019 18:15:54 +0200 germany-proposes-extra-charge-for-disposable-coffee-cups The Parliament of the European Union has voted to ban single use plastics across the bloc. The ban is expected to come into effect within the next two years. https://www.thelocal.de/20190327/eu-parliament-votes-to-ban-single-use-plastics Wed, 27 Mar 2019 16:33:40 +0100 eu-parliament-votes-to-ban-single-use-plastics Drinking fountains everywhere, sitting on benches made out of recycled material and placing fruits directly in shopping carts rather than plastic bags - German environment minister Svenja Schulze pushed for these changes as part of a recycling plan she presented in Berlin on Monday. https://www.thelocal.de/20181126/german-environment-minister-pushes-for-a-turnaround-in-plastic-use Mon, 26 Nov 2018 17:39:47 +0100 german-environment-minister-pushes-for-a-turnaround-in-plastic-use For decades, plastic straws have been essential props for cocktail makers, smoothie lovers and fast food addicts. But that may be starting to change, thanks largely to vigorous environmental campaigning. https://www.thelocal.de/20180701/war-on-plastic-leaves-manufacturers-clutching-at-straws Sun, 01 Jul 2018 15:55:20 +0200 war-on-plastic-leaves-manufacturers-clutching-at-straws Scientists in Germany on Friday cast doubt on the work of colleagues who claimed that plastic bag-eating caterpillars might hold the answer to the planet's growing synthetic waste problem. https://www.thelocal.de/20170916/german-study-casts-doubt-on-plastic-digesting-caterpillars Sat, 16 Sep 2017 05:20:10 +0200 german-study-casts-doubt-on-plastic-digesting-caterpillars Twenty years ago, between the 17th and 24th June 1995 the renowned artist couple Christo and Jeanne-Claude unveiled their latest and most extravagant artwork - they had wrapped the Reichstag in plastic, at a cost of $4 million. https://www.thelocal.de/20150625/how-the-reichstag-was-once-wrapped-in-fabric Thu, 25 Jun 2015 13:09:44 +0200 how-the-reichstag-was-once-wrapped-in-fabric German beer is famous for containing just four ingredients under the beer purity law, but it appears some brands have picked up an unwelcome fifth ingredient - plastic particles. https://www.thelocal.de/20140603/german-beer-contaminated-with-plastic-particles Tue, 03 Jun 2014 19:04:00 +0200 german-beer-contaminated-with-plastic-particles German researchers have found an unusually high amount of plastic particles in Italy's Lake Garda, a study has revealed. Fish often mistake the plastic for food meaning it could end up on dinner tables. https://www.thelocal.de/20131008/52279 Tue, 08 Oct 2013 10:02:00 +0200 52279 Supermarket giant Rewe has pulled its "100% biodegradable" bags from shops after an environment organisation called them a "particularly cheeky case of consumer deception." https://www.thelocal.de/20120412/41917 Thu, 12 Apr 2012 19:51:00 +0200 41917