Hamburg, against disposable packaging

Hamburg wants to set an example in environmental sustainability, and the local authorities have approved a document, the “Guide to green sourcing”, which prohibits all public services in the German city from purchasing certain polluting products and components with taxpayer money.

The document specifically prohibits the purchase with public money of coffee capsules, water and other drinks in plastic bottles, and disposable dishes and utensils, as well as hygiene items such as chlorine detergents and polluting air fresheners. Regarding the coffee capsules, the document states that the capsules “cannot be easily recycled because they are often made from a mixture of plastic and aluminum.

The decision has a considerable scope, since Hamburg is, in addition to the second most populous city in the country, the first with the highest GDP per inhabitant, and the city has an annual budget of 250 million euros for the purchase of goods and services.