A group, Environmental Action Germany, on Friday called for tougher enforcement on the use of plastic products.

The DUH said many of the items remained readily available online five years after the European Union banned a range of single-use plastic products.

Since July 3, 2021, the EU has prohibited the sale of single-use plastic cutlery, straws, stirrers, plates and several other disposable products as part of efforts to reduce plastic waste and protect the environment.

Many manufacturers switched to alternatives made from wood, bamboo or paper. However, the DUH said that plastic versions of the banned products were still being sold on numerous websites.

DUH campaigner, Viola Wohlgemuth, called on authorities to crack down on online retailers and impose penalties on those selling banned items.

“Whether it’s forks or drinking straws, these single-use plastic products are still being sold online on various websites. That is a political failure,” the group said.

Germany’s environment ministry said retailers are still allowed to sell off stocks of products manufactured before the ban took effect, with no time limit on how long existing inventories may remain on the market.

The ministry said the exemption created loopholes that made enforcement more difficult.

Ms Wohlgemuth questioned whether the plastic disposable products still being sold today could genuinely all come from inventories dating back to 2021.

Instead, she said, some companies could be replenishing supplies while claiming they were selling old stock.

(dpa/NAN)