The German Association for the Paper and Cardboard industry (VDW) supports the attempts of the German retail and supermarkets to replace plastic bags with bags that can be recycled easily.
“We welcome the decision of Rewe to stop the sales of plastic bags,” states Dr. Oliver Wolfrum Managing Director of the VDW. The paper industry offers retailers green shopping solutions for instance practical boxes. The boxes are some of the alternatives to plastic bag that supermarket Rewe has been using for some time. “It is better for the environment to completely replace the petroleum-based plastic bags, with recyclable paper boxes,” continues Wolfrum.
The shopping boxes are made from renewable materials and can be used for a variety of purposes and they can easily be recycled in the paper bin. “In Germany paper and cardboard are almost completely recycled and is therefore part of an nearly perfect use and reuse cycle,” states Wolfrum. Furthermore the bought cardboard shopping boxes can be used for all other kinds of things after their first use. For instance the cardboard boxes can be used to organize the car trunk. “The construction with corrugated cardboard is very light but very stable,” states Wolfrum. Consumers appreciate these types of shopping tools more every time. And now some Edeka supermarkets are offering cardboard boxes as an environmentally-friendly alternative for plastic bags too.