Guide

Reuse obligations for takeaway: what applies now and what the PPWR brings

A practical guide for restaurants, canteens, bakeries and caterers in Germany: the rules, the deadlines and what to do now. As of October 2026.

At a glance

In Germany, takeaway food and drinks are covered today by the Packaging Act (VerpackG). From 2027 the obligations of the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) are added. The key dates:

1 January 2023: reusable offer obligation in Germany (sections 33 and 34 VerpackG).
12 August 2026: the PPWR applies across the EU.
12 February 2027: customers can have their own containers filled (EU).
12 February 2028: a reusable option for takeaway becomes mandatory EU-wide.
1 January 2030: ban on single-use plastic packaging for food and drinks consumed on the premises and on plastic portion packs. Target: 10 percent of takeaway products in reusable packaging.

This guide summarises the rules in plain language and is not legal advice. The legal texts and your local authority are binding.

Operating in other countries? See the overview of reuse rules in Europe, with guides for France and the Netherlands.

Germany: the reusable offer obligation

Who is affected?

Every business that fills takeaway food or drinks into single-use packaging at the point of sale: restaurants, snack bars, cafés, bakeries, canteens, caterers, petrol stations and supermarkets with a counter. The obligation covers single-use food packaging made fully or partly of plastic, and single-use drinks cups made of any material.

What do you have to offer?

Every takeaway meal and drink must also be available in reusable packaging. The reusable option must not cost more or come with worse conditions than single-use. A deposit is allowed. You must take back the reusable packaging you hand out and point customers to the offer with clearly visible signs.

Exemption for small businesses

Businesses with no more than five employees and no more than 80 square metres of sales area do not have to offer their own reusable packaging. They must, however, fill containers that customers bring on request and point this out.

What happens if you do not comply?

Violations are administrative offences and can be fined up to 10,000 euros. Local public order offices carry out the checks.

EU: what the Packaging Regulation (PPWR) changes

The PPWR (Regulation (EU) 2025/40) entered into force in February 2025 and has applied since 12 August 2026. As a regulation, it applies directly in every EU country without national implementation.

From 12 February 2027: customers' own containers

Takeaway businesses must let customers have their own containers filled, at no extra charge and on conditions no worse than for single-use.

From 12 February 2028: a reusable option for everyone

For cold and hot drinks and for takeaway meals, a reusable packaging option must be offered within a working reuse system. It must not cost more than single-use, and it must be clearly advertised at the point of sale. By 2030, businesses should aim to sell 10 percent of their takeaway products in reusable packaging.

From 1 January 2030: bans for hospitality

Food and drinks served for consumption on the premises may no longer be offered in single-use plastic packaging. Single-use plastic portion packs, for example for sugar, coffee creamer or sauces, will also be banned for consumption on the premises.

Who is exempt?

Micro-enterprises under the EU definition, with fewer than ten employees and no more than 2 million euros annual turnover or balance sheet total, are exempt from the PPWR offer obligations. The German reusable offer obligation continues to apply. For many businesses in Germany, the main change up to 2028 is this: reuse not only has to be offered, it also has to work.

Checklist for your business

Choose a reuse system. A pool system such as RECUP, Vytal or Relevo, or your own tableware. With pool systems, customers can return containers at other locations too.
Plan the return. Where do customers drop off the container, who pays out the deposit, who washes it? This is where reuse most often fails in daily operation.
Check your prices. Reusable must not cost more than single-use. A deposit is allowed.
Put up signs. Clearly visible notices at the counter and till, and on menus and ordering pages.
Brief your team. Everyone at the counter should actively offer the reusable option.
Allow customers' own containers. Set hygiene rules and inform your team, by February 2027 at the latest.
Measure usage. How many reusable containers go out and how many come back? With the 10 percent target in mind, it pays to track this early.

The bottleneck: returns

Reuse only pays off when containers come back often and quickly. In many businesses, returns still go over the counter: staff take containers back, check them, pay out the deposit and store them, often right in the lunchtime rush.

A return machine takes over this step. It recognises containers by AI image recognition, QR code or RFID, accepts them around the clock and pays out the deposit automatically. Because one CircleCube works with several reuse systems, you do not need a separate return point for each system. Examples in daily use are the Viktualienmarkt in Munich and the Mainz wine market.

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Sources

As of October 2026.

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